Rust Rim - The Beginning (Part 1)
by Skyhope.021
Summary: I always thought I would be a simple mech with a common life... Turns out I was wrong. I was destined to be something else, for Cybertron's sake. When the first Terrorcon made land in Polyhex, we found ourselves obliged to respond to the attack. Nothing could bring the beast down, so if we were to survive, we needed to fight back. To fight monsters... We created monster of our own.
1. Prologue

_**Rust Rim - The Beginning (Part 1)**_

I always thought I would be a simple mech with a common life... Turns out I was wrong. I was destined to be something else, for Cybertron's sake. When the first Terrorcon made land in Polyhex, we found ourselves obliged to respond to the attack. Nothing could bring the beast down, so if we were to survive, we needed to fight back. To fight monsters... We created monster of our own.

_**Disclaimer -**_ I don't own Transformers nor Pacific Rim, which are property of their rightful owners. I just own my story, my invention (alternal floor soles, cybertronian months, sweeternfly...) and my OC's, the Steam brothers: Skywarp (same name but not G1) and Soundstricker (also known as Silence).

_Rust Rim - _The Beginning (Part 1) by _Skyhope.021_

**__30~07~2019__**

Enjoy!

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_**First attack, Cybertron, 21th Crystaline 3215**_

_Terrorcon, strange creature (Axiam)_

_Jaeger, hunter (Kaonian)_

When I was a sparkling, whenever I'd feel small or lonely... I'd look up at the stars. Wondered if there was life up there... Turns out I was looking in the wrong direction. When alien life entered our world it was from deep beneath the Rust Sea. A fissure between two tectonic plates. A portal between dimensions. The Breach. I was 15 when the first Terrorcon made land in Polyhex. By the time plasma guns, special units and Ioninc weapons took it down... Six days and 35 miles later... Three fifth of the city... Was destroyed. Tens of thousands of lives were lost. We mourned our dead... Memorialised the attack... And moved on.

And then, only six months later... The second attack... Hit Tiger Pax. The news were always the same... "_The acid factor of the Terrorcon energon... Creates a toxic phenomenon named Terrorcon Purple._" ... Every time a Terrorcon attacked.

And then the third one hit Tarn. And then the fourth, Althiex. And then we learned... This was not gonna stop. This was just the beginning.

We needed... a new weapon. The world came together... Pulling its resources and throwing aside old rivalries... For the sake of the greater good.

To fight monsters... We created monsters of our own. Almost immediately, the Rust Rim Defense Corporations, R.R.D.C., was created, to protect all Cybertronians. And then, a year later, The Jaeger program... Was born.

The best specialist in the field of psych cortical patch, Shockwave, was called in order to fuse mind and machine. The idea was fine, but there were setbacks at first. The neural load and fried processor while connected with a Jaeger proved too much for a single pilot. Instead, a two-pilot system was implemented. Left-hemisphere, right-hemisphere pilot control.

We started winning. Jaegers stopping Terrorcons everywhere. But the Jaegers were only as good as their pilots. So Jaeger pilots... Turned into rock stars. Danger... Turned into propaganda... Terrorcons... Into toys...

We got really good at it. Winning. Then... Then it all... Changed.


	2. Pan Pacific

_Updated - ___30~07~2019__

* * *

_**Pan Pacific**_

_**Cybertron, 21st Crystaline 3215, Crystal City**_

When first Terrorcon made land, I got shocked. No one never expected to be stricken like we were. We couldn't imagine how such a creature could cause that amount of damage. It had a huge impact on all of us. That was the beginning of the disaster, as I saw it.

By that time I was at school, as any other day, until a friend of mine texted me from Polyhex, showing the monster in a video. That was the first time I could see a Terrorcon. It was... Gigantic. Six days later, I knew, thanks to the media, that the monster was down. Unfortunately, never again had I news from my friend.

Immediately, I started getting more information about what happened, what was that creature, and of course, where did it came from. Not only that, I also kept studying everything I was interested in, maths, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology..., but this time, I did it harder. I gathered such a knowledge that I became almost an expert in any science fields and I got degrees and awards for my inventions. What I never expected was that one day all that knowledge was gonna be proven as useful.

And that day happened to be almost two years after the attack.

* * *

_**Cybertron, 14th Paxian 3217, Crystal City, 10:00 am**_

I was giving a lecture in my former school about neuroscience and processor Interneural connections when a pair of mech showed up looking for me.

"... So, the internal network, which contains neurotransmitters, is capable of..." I was interrupted by someone who had opened the door behind me. I turned around as I looked at the mech quite unsure about what was going up.

"Knockout Sky?" A black and white mech with an orange visor said emotionless.

"Yes, that's me. What is it what you want from me?" I asked, aware of the murmurs of my once classmates.

"You are requested by R.R.D.C." He said shortly. "Son, your world needs you."

I nodded as I walked towards them, waving a silent goodbye. I walked in front of them, like if I were a prisoner. If that made me felt uncomfortable, two more policemech where waiting for me in the playground. As soon as we appeared, a green vortex was opened, and I was escorted through it. I don't know why did I required so much protection, but I was surrounded by them.

When we finally made it through the ground bridge, I could see, that I was outside Crystal City. And an aerial transport was waiting for us. Now, that was strange. Why an aircraft when we could drive? Where was I been lead, to be so secure and so secret?

Once we were into the craft and up in the air, the same mech who previously had talked, presented himself, this time more animated. "I'm Prowl." He shouted over the wind directly into the microphone his helmet had.

"Nice to meet you!" I replied back, with a smile. "I would present myself, but I think you already know me."

"Your documentation says that you're just 16. Tell me son, is it true?" He said retrieving his visor, intrigued.

"Yes, sir. I'll be 17 the 21st in five months now." I said enjoying the amazed gazes they all gave me. "Before you ask it, I'm exceptionally gifted." I explained.

"Good! That will make it in our favour." Prowl grinned.

Soon the aircraft landed, and I got out. I recognise the place quite vaguely. I think I was in Iacon's outskirts. I didn't have much time until I was guided into a the huge building, or better said a bunker. A bunker with gigantic gate. What were they hiding inside, a Terrorcon?

I was about to mention it when a mech approached me, I was giving my back to him. "Knockout, welcome to Pan Pacific, the Iaconian base of R.R.D.C." I turned around sharply, almost falling to the ground. There were some snickers behind me, but I just ignored them recovering the little dignity I had at that moment. "Is good to see you again."

I immediately recognised him. "Missed me, Alpha?" I said giving him a hand shake. He was the librarian of Iacon, and now he was in charge of the Pan Pacific. He gestured me to follow him. "So, could you tell me what is this and what I'm doing here?" I said, inspecting the place. "I mean, what does Rust Rim need me for?"

"Well, we needed someone with your abilities to improve the project." He said gesturing around as we went through the corridor.

"Wait. Are you talking about... The Jaeger program?" My optics lighten up in excitement. I was gonna be part of one of the most important projects in all Cybertronian history, and even better, I was gonna help saving lives.

"Yes, Knockout. You will help us to get a better efficiency in the robots as well as in the pilots." He said as we entered the main chamber. For me that was like entering the paradise. "You will work on robots designs, weaponry, energy field and consumption... But I want you to make them resistant, stronger and what's more, faster. You will start with the Mark I." He explained as we walked towards one robot, blue and yellow. "You will also be in charge of making the connection between pilots and the robots safer. For that you will work along other scientists, and, if you don't mind, under Shockwave's supervision in this last field."

"Wow, are you telling me that I'll be modifying this beauties along side Shockwave!?" I would have sworn I was dreaming and that I would wide awake into the reality. Shockwave was one of the most intelligent and brightest scientist of Cybertron, who had a brilliant mind, he invented the psychic cortical patch that allowed the Jaegers to be piloted.

Alpha let me enjoy myself by taking a good look at the mecha we had in front. "Oh, Primus! It's Romeo Blue!" I said raising up my gaze to look at the immense robot. "Trans-Tao 3 series power system, Crocus Ultima Energy Core, Gatling Chest weapon... Released in 3216 by Iacon and took two Terrorcon down." I said like an sparkling.

I turned my gaze to the right as I saw the white robot. "Oh, that's Tacit Ronin!" I ran across the whole base, which was a bit crowded, until I was in front of it. "The fourth original Jaeger, built up in 3216 as well, by Tarn."

"Don't forget Cherno." Alpha said approaching me. "It's heavy, but it's a good robot." He added signalling the heaviest robot ever.

My optics couldn't go wider. "Cherno... Alpha...!" I murmured. Now that was a majestic work. It is impossible to match heavy with efficient in the same sentence, but Cherno was the exception that put those two words working together perfectly fine. "Wow, I really admire those Tesla fists." I said looking at that huge blinded tank with a pair of pedes. "The newest Mark-1, released the Nexian of 3217, by Kaon." I whispered almost out of speech.

"Well, if you're so excited with this ones, then I might not show you the Mark-II, other ways you will have a power down." Alpha joked. I turned around almost pleading, but instead, he just smiled and guided me up stairs. "I've got a better idea. Why not looking at those titans at the same level?" He said as we climbed up to the Con-Pod level, into the platforms around the base.

Alpha gave me some data pads each one with the information of each robot, so that I could start working, while we had a look at the other mechas. It was great. No, it was awesome.

A while after, we walked into the Loccent, the command station. "Now, this is where the Terorcons are located and classified, and there where the Jaegers are directed. Prowl, the mech that has bring you here, he is the main controller and our tactic planer. He finds the best location to intercept the Terrorcon and cause less damage to cities."

"Hey, wasn't he the pilot of Romeo Blue?" I asked silently to Alpha.

"Yes, he was, but we needed someone like him in the base, more than in a Jaeger, and he accepted to be in the command room." Alpha explained briefly. "Now come with me, I'll show you the lab."

He guided me to another room, which was labeled with big and black letters, Laboratory. When we entered, I found two mech arguing between them and a third one working on a Terrorcon's CPU, or what was left of it. Three of them looked towards me and the silence was set in the room. "Well, this is your new teammate. He will work on the robots along side you." Alpha was gonna introduce me to them, but I already knew two of them. "I've gotta go kiddo, but you'll be well cared." He added before leaving.

"Ratchet! Good to see you again!" I said greeting my fellow hospital college and mentor, with a handshake. "So you now work in here, eh?"

Our relationship was quite strange between us. Ratchet was the medic who helped by mother giving birth to me, but I didn't have a real contact with him until I met him in a conference about medicine, when I was 13. I get to talk with him and finally he incorporated me into the medicine classes. I turned out to be a brilliant students, so he taught me until I became his best pupil. I got my license and I continued career in Crystal City, were I continued studying other things and working on my own, always keeping in touch with my beloved mentor.

"Yeah, I conduct researches about the effect the Jaegers have on pilots, as well as investigate about the effects of the Terrorcons in society. I'm also in charge of healing people around here, where there's an accident or else." He resumed.

"Dr. Shockwave, I'm honoured to share the lab with you again, sir." I said as I greeted him formally.

I once had the opportunity to work with him in a similar project back on Kaon. At the really beginning he was thought to be the typical mad scientist, but it was proven his invention to be a great advantage. Not only that. When I worked side to side with him, I discovered that he was moved by logic and the well being of every Cybertronian, not their destruction. He was a formidable scientist, but more important, he was more Cybertronian that what anyone could imagine.

"I think that R.R.D.C. has taken a logical decision by incorporating you to this team." He states as usual, but I knew that he was glad of it. "Welcome Dr. Knockout." He paused before continuing. "What will be your work in here?"

"Well, they assigned me to work on the robots themselves, I mean, I'm gonna improve the Jaeger systems, connections and physiology." I said, this time focusing on the third mech. "Who's him?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, he's Pharma." Ratchet said as we three looked at him. "He's..."

"...The specialist in Terrorcons." The white, blue and red bot finished. He raised his gaze to look at me directly, examining me. "Aren't you too young to work on the Jaegers?" He asked rising an eyebrow.

"Maybe." I replied shrugging my shoulders.

"Good! Welcome, mech!" He said standing up and walking towards me, his servos full of Terrorcon fluids. I tried to back up, as my fellow comrades laughed at my situation. "Oh, come on, don't be shy, come here and let's have a mech handshake!"

"Aeeeeh... I would prefer not being touched with that... Stuff." I said with panic and disgust written all over my face plates.

"Ah, don't tell me you're one of those how care too much about their look." Pharma said still trying to hug me as we run through the lab.

"But he does!" Ratchet explained. "He doesn't care getting all covered in dust or oil, as long as he can clean it out later. But... with unknown stuff... Well, he has that little... Fixation." Shockwave and himself laughed about it, just when the third one blocked me the only way out from there. "Believe me Pharma, do not never ever mess with his paint job."

"I find that fixation... Illogical." The purple mech said expressionless. He might have being laughing at me for sure.

I had no choice but shook his hand. "Ok, let's let things clear, I do appreciate you, but not that thing." I said signalling the CPU and the fluids all over the floor were he had been working on. Unfortunately, soon were all over me as I was trapped into a really tight hug. "Aeeh... Never mind."

"Good! Whenever you want you can give me a servo on it!" He grinned side to side. "But now, welcome to Pan Pacific."

"Well, I thank you all. I'm honoured of being part of this great scientist team. And even more to work with three of you to save our planet." I grinned enthusiastically. "And covered in Terrorcon fluids... This wasn't in the pamphlet." I giggled.

That was going to be a great chance for me to learn from all the different areas, as I thought. After all, long days were waiting for me in there, inside the laboratory, which was fantastic for me. But it turned out once more that I was wrong.


	3. The Steams

_Updated - ___31~07~2019__

* * *

_**The Steams**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 14th Paxian 3217, Iacon, 13:30 pm**_

After few hours, organising my time table and after being shown my quarters, they let me some free time to have a look around the base, and have a quick shower plus polishing my finish. I walked through the different hangars, I decided I should get a cube of energon and meet people. If I was lucky enough I would meet pilots, and maybe be told some good stories about fights and Terrorcons.

I entered the canteen and everyone turned to look at me. I localised Ratchet, and I walked towards him. I sat by his side, and soon there were people around me. A mech in my right talked to me, with a Kaonian accent. "So, you're the new engineer that will modify our robots, right?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm Knockout." I said looking at him. He was a flyer, strong, but also slim. He had a dark golden green paint job with some white and grey details and wore a red translucent visor, which let me meet his intense crimson optics. I offered a hand, but he didn't shook it.

"Well, I'll tell you something. If you ruin our robot, if you leave us without a fight, we will make some changes in your chassis too." He said disdainfully approaching more. "If we lose any Jaeger, we will make you responsible for it. Be sensible, Knockout, and leave now you have the chance for it." Hissed before walking away. That was the usual Kaonian way of being.

I was quite shocked. I looked at the scientist, and Pharma answered my mental question. "No, kiddo, you haven't done anything, yet. The Steam brothers. Pilot Skywarp and copilot Soundstricker." He signalled a grey mech with his helm. "Sky is the eldest one, he just tries to remark himself. Silence on the contrary is younger, but cautious, he knows when to act. You will get used to them." He took a piece of energon. "Specially because you will have to work with them side to side for a while." He added full mouthed.

"Their reaction is not Logical." Shockwave gave his point of view. "But not all the people is the same around here. I'll present you Soundwave later. He doesn't speak, but he does know what respect is."

"Thank you Shockwave." I said trying to make myself easy.

"I suggest you to start with them, the earlier you finish with Cherno, the further you'll be from them." Ratchet added finishing his cube. "Good luck."

So I did as soon as I finished my lunch. I went to my quarters, and I lied down the berth with the schedule of Cherno Alpha in my servos. I studied it carefully, starting from the physical machinery and ending with the Conn-Pod.

This Jaeger was the newest one from the oldest ones. It had quite good tech for the moment, but I could improve it. Now the questions were, Where should I start from? What should I change? How to do it without encountering its pilots?

I decided to start sketching the external modifications, which fortunately were few. And once I got it, I focused into the seams and the joints. I didn't even noticed but five hours were gone while doing that. I stretched myself leaving the scrawled holopapers on the table and I decided to have a walk around, taking the data pad with me.

People looked at me, some amazed, others surprised, but I just greeted them with smile as I continued walking. Suddenly, a faceless mech stood in my way. I looked at him quite unsure and then he offered me a servo. I shook it still confused until I remembered Shockwave's words. "So... You are Soundwave, right?" I asked shyly. The mech nodded, as we walked side by side. "Well, Shockwave has talked me about you. He says that you don't talk at all." I commented.

"That's right." A recording voice sounded. There was a silence.

"Could you show me the base?" I asked him. "I'm still trying to locate myself." I laughed. He nodded.

We walked into the different hangars, from the training rooms to the Jaeger room, and into the command station. During our walk, he told me how did he joined the project. It was the year the R.R.D.C. was created. He was a Vosian before coming to Iacon. He just perceived that something was wrong before the first attack, because he had registered strong lectures, hours before the first Terrorcon made land. He also told me that he was the responsible of detecting new attacks and the one who kept the communication stables.

A while after, we walked towards the command station, where I hoped to find Alpha Trion. As I thought there he was. I greeted the silent mech and I approached to them. Shockwave was there as well, talking about probability. "... My calculations are exact, if this happens, that it will, we have just two more weeks before the next attack occurs." He explained.

"... Then, we will have to hurry up the modification process... I see. I will tell Knockout." Alpha said thoughtfully.

"Well, I've already started with Cherno Alpha." I stated shyly. They turned around to face me. "I have started modelling the main plates and joints, and I thought I could find Shockwave here to help me checking the neural connections with the pilots." I gave him the data pad I'd been working on, hoping he would give me green light.

"Well, not bad at all, but we need calculations of the budget it will cost, the materials you'll need, precision in the final result, and... Need you to do it perfect but fast." Alpha asked me. "But well done."

"Ok, I'll get on it right now." I said ready to leave. "Oh, by the way, could we just check the neural net in two hours? I hope to have finished marking the physical part by then." I added before rushing out directed to Cherno.

Half an hour later, I found myself in front of the robot, I took out my alternal floor soles and jumped out of the catwalk, so that I was now walking on the air. I approached to the titan and started marking white lines on Cherno's frame to get the reference of what plate should be changed, polished or repainted. By the time I finished with the pedes of the giant, I had already marked what I needed to change. But I failed on noticing that the pilots were observing me.

As soon as I hit the ground, the mech that had talked me before stroke me. I hardly avoided his hook to my face, but fortunately, I knew how to fight. I dodged him in few occasions, trying to talk him down, but he couldn't stand seeing his Jaeger full of marks. When I was tired of dodging him, I just did what any mech would do, I answered back.

I launched my fists toward him, hitting him hard enough to make him retreat, and after that, I just pushed him with my pede backwards until he fell to the ground. Prowl make it to us, and stopped the fight.

"Both of you, back to your work, now." He ordered us firmly. I nodded leaving the scene behind.


	4. Cherno Alpha

_Updated - 06___~08~2019__

* * *

_**Cherno Alpha**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 14th Paxian 3217, Iacon, 16:15 pm**_

After the little incident I had before, I decided that right now the best option was to wait for Shockwave in the Lab. I had few minutes before checking the neural connection, so I started working on calculations. I sat down by Pharma's side as I watched him examine a little extract from the Terrorcon's CPU.

"You do have a bad face. What happened?" The scientist suddenly asked, without diverting his gaze from the microscope.

"How did you...?" I was surprised. "Never mind. I think that Cherno's pilots are quite obsessed with the idea of touching their robot." I explained.

"Nah, don't think it's about Cherno, is because they think they can handle this on their own, that their Jaeger is better than anyone, that it doesn't need maintenance... You know, Kaonian vanity." He added scattering some Terrorcon pieces on floor. "You need to impose yourself, you know, let them know you worth it."

"Yeah, I know what is it to bear that behaviour." I replayed back. "I've been dealing with it quite a long time." I added bored, leaning back on the chair.

"So you're Kaonian?" He asked cautiously.

"No, I'm Crystalline, but I do have Kaonian family." I explained. "Long story."

Suddenly, the door opened and Shockwave came into the room. I stood up as the purple mech stared at me. "Cherno is prepared." He stated. I got up immediately and gathered my data pad. "It would be logical to record all the data now." He added as we exited the room, in order to pay a visit to the Kaonian titan. We walked for a while, and mid time, Shockwave took advantage of it to give me some advices. "You do know how to interact with Decepticons. Use your background, your _Kaonian_ background. It will come handy to you now."

"I will, Shockwave." I admitted. He was right. I should use everything I learned from my eight years in the Decepticon capital, and of course everything I learn from my family in there, but specially, from my father. "Thank you." I just needed to give another point of view to the situation.

We entered the third hangar, at the highest level where the Conn-Pod of Cherno Alpha was. The pilots were waiting for us. '_Well, round two Knockout, go ahead._' I encouraged myself. We stopped by their side, and they greeted Shockwave. Everyone respected him, but not me, yet.

We walked in, as the eldest one whispered me full of venom from behind, "Did ya came for more, Knock-Out?" He scoffed, remarking my name.

"Sky..." The youngest one looked at his brother, trying to maintain the situation calm.

But Skywarp didn't payed attention to him. "You know that you lil mech cannot play with big robots, and you..." I cut him off.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. How's a mech like you controlling such a big robot if you lack intelligence?" He was stunned. Before he could say anything, I cut him off again as I continued, "I may be short in stature and have less strength than you, but I have more neural connections in just the frontal part of my CPU than what you will ever have in your entire life. That almost makes me more capable of piloting any Jaeger, even on my own." The Kaonian silenced as he looked at his brother stunned. I thanked my father for teaching me how to keep people in their place and how to talk to Decepticons. "So now, if you don't have anything left to say, shut your mouth up and let me do my work."

"If you're done, it would be logical to make the revisions now, so that we could gain time." Shockwave stated emotionless. "So if you don't mind you two should be wearing your respective suit and helmet." Both Kaonians looked at each other and ten minutes later they appeared again, this time wearing their neural black suit on.

We entered the pod and each pilot took its right place as they engage themselves physically to Cherno. We connected some cables to the pilots in order get the data we needed to analyse later. Then we took our places and secured ourselves as well, after all, we were going to take the Jaeger out for a walk, and maybe some fight practice. We could hear the main central computer establishing the pod. "Two pilots welcome to the Conn-Pod. Preparing physical engagement."

"Everyone prepared for Cherno Alpha's testing session. Let the way free." Shockwave must had warned the Command Station, since Alpha was directing the connection. "Ok, Steams, you're authorised to complete the pilot-to-pilot connection."

"Command received." The silver mech said while he pressed some buttons as the giant switched on. "Preparing every system, and ready to fuse with Cherno Alpha."

"Completing connection... Now." Skywarp stated.

There was a moment of silence as each pilot entered into the other's mind. "Connections pilot-to-pilot... Engaged." The paneling started showing functions and information about the Jaeger. "Calibration in process... Calibrating... Now." The pilots adjusted their position. "Calibrated."

"Let's go then!" The pilot grinned.

Both Kaonians started moving the titan and for the very first time of my life I felt gigantic. "Woooohoooo!" I shouted with all my strength. "Ha ha ha..." I was really enjoying the first steps and almost laughing due to the emotion I felt brothers also smiled sincerely at my reaction, so in the very core of their spark I think they valued me, at least in some way. I'm also sure that Shockwave would have been grinning at me, if he had had a usual face.

He let me enjoy the way out of the hangar, until he reminded me the purpose of that walk. "Remember Knockout why are we here. There are data bases we need to collect and study, so I would suggest to start taking notes." I nodded as I started to take mental notes, while Shockwave wrote his own down. "First impression?"

"Well, apart from the awesomeness of this machine, I must say, as an expert, that there are few things that should be changed. The walk cycle is quite good, which its stability is essential to move in battles, but I think it's slow and heavy. I've noticed that that pilots have developed a bigger muscular mass in their legs and pedes than in the rest of their frame, which suggests that they are making a great effort to move Cherno. The leg control I think should be improved in order to make it faster and easier to move it." I concluded with the first visual information I mentally gathered.

Shockwave wrote it down and then asked the pilots. "Well, few questions before we get into the battle mode. What's your impression about Cherno Alpha's performance, the effectiveness, the movements...?"

"Well, even though Cherno is the best Jaeger ever, I agree with Knockout." Silence answered. "We do quite a lot exercise, but the robot is slower than what we would like to."

"We're talking about Cherno, he is the heaviest Jaeger ever. It would be a huge challenge to make such a giant faster." The pilot also gave his point of view. "So tell me, lil mech, would you be able to take on such a big challenge?" Skywarp added, but this time like if I were his little brother, almost with kindness.

"Well, big challenges for big robots it's something nothing less than appropriate. Now the question is, would you let me put my hands over it?" I smiled enthusiastically.

"If you're able to survive the combat mode without throwing up, kiddo..." The pilots looked at each other and then back to me smirking, "...Then may be you're lucky to work on it."

"Go ahead!" I took the challenge up with my best smirk. The fun was just about to start. That was the moment when I could feel the rumble of the Tesla fists colliding together ready for battle moves.

The Conn-Pod moved sharply in more than an occasion, and I could see Shockwave's feelers flipping up and down with each movement, which made the scientist even cutter than what he already was. I also became aware of the impeccable coordination of the pilots, whose performance was brilliant.

We could see how the pilot's thoughts were interpreted by the copilot and put into action and the other way round. Even though that, there was agreement in every movement or decision. They did really thought as a single mech, in fact, when they fuse their minds together, Cherno became totally alive, like I giant Cybertronian being. That's the moment when I fell in love with Jaegers. Then a thought crossed my mind.

Even though I would probably never fully understand what piloting a Jaeger meant, I wanted to became a pilot.


	5. Work, Pilots and Jaegers

_Updated - 13___~08~2019__

* * *

_**Work, Pilots and Jaegers**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 14th Paxian 3217, Iacon, 17:45 pm**_

We exited the Conn-Pod of Cherno Alpha few minutes after our arrival. The experience had being spectacular. I was amazed. We just ran few more tests on the Jaeger's programming and central computer performance, and then we guided the pilots into the simulation room, which mechanisms were just like the Conn-Pod, but reproducing a combat, just to have a look at the different situation the pilots could face and decisions they had to take.

It was quite boring, but the simulator gave us juicy data to analyse. The pilots had to coordinate themselves, like in a Jaeger, but without pilot-to-pilot engagement, simulation a interconnection failure between the commanders, leaving them controlling a suit by two hemispheres with no connection. It was fascinating to watch them working as one. Two minds one frame.

The effectiveness of the control with and without connections obviously had a difference, but in this case it was just the 7% of it, which meant that those two pilots had a real connection with each other. Wow, that meant to know and be able to share ones darkest secrets with someone you had to trust blindly. I felt a bit of envy about that. I remembered the confidence with my friends and family, and I realised that there was resemblance, but this took it all to a whole new level.

"Well, that was everything." Shockwave concluded. "We will analyse the outfit and we will start performing changes as soon as we get reliable results. Until then, Cherno Alpha will be operational and in duty."

"Good!" Silence grinned. "Actions is just what we need." He added with bright optics.

"That's our second name." His elder brother commented vainly. "We're leaving now. Dr. Shockwave, Knockout." They greeted. "By the way, whenever you want to hang around, call us kiddo." Skywarp said turning around one last time before they left. I nodded.

"Well, I think today I did good advances with the Steams." I grinned. "Let's get to the control room to get the videos of Cherno's training session." I suggested.

The purple nodded and we walked through the levels discussing the different changes we should do to Cherno Alpha. We both concluded the movement mechanisms had to be replaced for new ones, at least the legs management. We finally reached our destiny, the command station.

Alpha was commanding something when we entered in. "...Make sure that it is secured in each place, and that the energon levels are replaced, ready to use at any time..." We waited patiently until everything was set calm again.

"Scientist in the house." I announced vividly. Everything looked at us, most of them at me, with some soft laughs.

Alpha turned around with a light smile. "Well, how was the ride?" He asked as he approached me.

"It was... good." I tried to seem mature.

"Don't lie." Prowl replied with a grin as he sat up. "We all heard you shouting!"

I opened my optics wide in surprise and then embarrassment made its appearance. "Ok, you caught me." I blushed up. "It was awesome! I'm looking forward to do it again!" My optics couldn't go brighter.

"He's going to enjoy it, Alpha. He'll do it." The former pilot talked up, walking towards us. At that time I didn't understand whether he was talking about being on Pan Pacific or the project we were handling. Few years later did I fully understand what he meant, but not then. Anyway, I was having the adventure of my life, and those words were just a tiny detail in the huge story I was writing.

"Now, what have you get out from your little ride?" The eldest mech asked.

"Not much, just that there are mechanisms that need to be changed." I explained shortly.

"We came here to take the videos of the testing session." Shockwave added. "It would be logical to compare both internal and external performance, what would make our calculations more exact." Prowl gave him a data pad, which contained the material we needed. "We will start working now, and as soon as he get the results, we will let you know." Then he turned to me. "Let's get into the lab. We will have less disturbances there."

I just nodded as we exited the command station. We walked once more through the long corridors until we reached the laboratory and we settled down to work. We made the data pad bigger, until it was as big as a tv. Then Shockwave played the video of the different outside cameras first.

We took notes for a while and commenting different point of views and signalling the screen. Four hours were gone while we studied the data. We didn't even noticed some cybertronians had entered in few occasions, or that Pharma was back after his afternoon nap. He also got into his own work for some hours.

Suddenly we noticed someone by our side. "It's a pity we haven't got energon pops." Pharma had rolled his chair towards us and sat himself behind us. "It would have been a good action movie with the right OST." He bended over my shoulder as I was writing some formulas. "By the way I've heard you had a great time riding Cherno. Well, better said, everyone in Pan Pacific does know it, your joy cries were heard from here!" We both laughed.

"Yeah, it was spectacular." I replied, turning lightly the chair towards him. "If you ever ever are offered a ride on a Jaeger, do not never refuse, it would be the chance of your life. I assure you it."

"No doubt of it." He replied. "Now, I don't know you guys, but it's 21:30, and I'm starving. I wanna have dinner. You coming?"

"Sure!" I subspaced my notes.

Three of us walked through the corridors, as we chatted about the day we had. In the way we found Soundwave, who joined the conversation, in his way. Pharma was telling he wanted to take new samples from the next Terrorcon, as many as he could, while Shockwave said that the white and red mech had gone crazy and that the contact with the Terrorcon made him illogical and obsessed. Soundwave just giggled as I laughed hard. Discussion between experts were a great entertainment, but they were even better if Ratchet was around.

We entered the canteen, and we sat at the same place as before. The Steam brothers were next to us, but one of them was standing up, just telling their colleagues how had the training session been developed, and our reaction. Everyone was listening in complete silence, attentive to every word. "Oh, and you should have listened the joy cries of our friend right here." The youngest one approached me and offered a cube. "Tell us kiddo, did you enjoyed the ride?"

"Well, I think I will have to give another shot before I come to a conclusion." I answered grinning widely. "Being among Jaegers was great, but being inside Cherno and watch him come to life... My Mech that was awesome!"

Cybertronians around laughed. Pharma then raised his voice, "Hey Knockout, tell us about you a bit. How was your first day? How were you recruited?"

"Ok, I'll make long story short." I said taking a sip from my cube. "I'm Knockout Sky. I'm from Crystal City, I'm just 16, and I'm exceptionally gifted." I paused for a moment as I refuelled myself. Then I continued. "Alpha and I know each other since long before, he knew that I could help the R.R.D.C. So he has just recruited me." I drank a bit more.

"I was giving a lecture to some former classmates when Prowl..." I greeted him, "...Interrupted me. He escorted me here and... Well, I was informed about the project. Then I was shown the Jaegers, I had the chance to have a ride in one of theme... Shockwave and I spent quite a lot of time watching lobbing matches... Ups, I wanna say Cherno's training session videos." There were laughs as I could hear the purple mech complaining, saying it was illogical.

"To sum up, I would say that I'm honoured to be part of the Pan Pacific's scientist group, work with such a great colleagues, awesome pilots, impressive machines..." I stated while making reference to each cybertronian I met that day. "I never thought I would be given such an opportunity, and I think I could classify this day as one of the best days of my life." I quieted for a moment. "Thank you all."

There were claps all over the canteen room as I sat down. Then Alpha stood up, I noticed that him and Prowl were alone in the most separated table at the other side of the room. He just cleared his voice and talked to me, "We hope you feel comfortable in here and you find good companions around. For the incoming years among us." Everyone raised their glass. "Welcome, Knockout, to Pan Pacific." Claps filed the room as cheers were heard loud.

"Knockout, it seems that you're now part of us!" Ratchet patted my shoulder. We were having a good time, and I felt part of it. It was amazing.

* * *

I wasn't aware of what was going on at the other side of the canteen, were Alpha and Prowl discussed something, almost like whispering. "I really think he could do it well." The former pilot said. "I've seen that look before in myself. He's looking forward to it." They both looked at the red mech. "Look at him, he's young, fast, we would have to watch him in a sparring contest, but I think he's nimble enough for it. I've seen him fighting." He looked once more into his friends optics. "He has a strong mind, he could bear a mental handshake."

"You maybe right, but I'm afraid he's still too young, yet." Alpha replied. "And we don't know if the connection will failure, due to his memories."

"Do you think he's a trauma, so strong that would not let him complete the laze?" The cop asked silently.

Alpha didn't responded immediately, "I know him since he was five, I've seen him falling down and rising up again." He looked at the red young mech again. "We will let him grow until he becomes full grown mech. For then, he would have finished the updates of the actual Jaegers." He added. "Then, we will start training him."


	6. Raythe

_Updated - 20___~08~2019__

* * *

_**Raythe **_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 28th Paxian 3217, Iacon**_

Some weeks were gone since first I arrived to Pan Pacific. Cherno was already updated, Tacit Ronin was on his way, and I must say that it had even a cooler Conn-Pod than Cherno, and the next one in my list was Romeo Blue. There was a pair of Mark II Jaeger, one recently built and a second one on its way. There were newer, they were faster, but they weren't what the Mark I were.

I always looked up to the blue titan and its pilots. They were heroes to me. Every Jaeger had its special thing, but the Iaconian one had something more. I think it was because of the colours, or maybe because it was the first released Jaeger who saved entire cities from destruction, or just because of its former pilots. Some months ago, Romeo was out of duty, because it had had few failures in the past that needed to be repaired. Now that the robot was on its build up way, both pilots were retired, leaving two unfilled vacant places. I admit it, I was dreaming with taking the command of that Jaeger, but my destiny showed me once more I was wrong, again. It turned out that my future had nothing to do with Romeo Blue, but mid time, I let my mind day dream at will.

During my few weeks in there, I met thousands of bots, I was shown the base, I learned how to live in there and it seemed that I became as popular as Shockwave, and soon everyone in Pan Pacific knew me as 'The Kiddo', it seemed my age was the most surprising thing for them. I really enjoyed my work. Even if we had hard tasks, for me, every workday was a joy-day. But not always was the same.

One day, while walking around with Ratchet, I saw a large clock, o better said, a timer, which showed the following numbers: 000 : 00 : 14 : 32. I stood in front of it and I asked, "Ratchet, what's this?"

"The Hangar War Clock. We reset it after every Terrorcon attack. There's another one in the command station. Keeps everyone focused." He explained. "There are fourteen minutes left until the next attack."

"How do you know how much is left?" I was confused.

"Shockwave works on the calculations for it. Whenever there's an attack, he predicts the next one by studying the time parameters and show ups algorithms. He has discovered that the interval of appearance shortens between every attack." Ratchet informed me. "We're lucky to have Shockwave among us. If not, we would have already lost Tyger Pax and Axiam."

"So there are just fourteen minutes left..." I murmured. "... But there's calm around here. Shouldn't be everyone moving around? Maybe Shockwave predicted it wrong." I suggested. One part of me hoped Shockwave was wrong, maybe the Terrorcons decided to leave us alone. But the other part of myself prayed Primus to make those calculations correct. We could prevent Terrorcons making land on cities were zillions of sparks could be risked.

"Shockwave never fails." Ratchet said serious. "He predicted this attack six months and three weeks ago, and he got it right." The old bot looked at me, "They are working in the hangar next to this one. They're preparing the newest Jaeger, the Simfurian Mark II called Diablo Intercept, and also Cherno Alpha."

"Oh! Understandable." I muttered thoughtfully, looking down to the ground.

"Come one, we will follow the battle from the command station." Ratchet stated.

We walked all the way up to Loccent and soon we entered in, just in time to witness the start up of Cherno. We could hear the Steam brothers talking with Alpha. "Ok, we're ready to go at any time, sir."

"The Terrorcon you're facing is a Cat. II, bigger than the last one. Its code name is Raythe. It's heading Nexus." Prowl informed. "Ok, guys, Vosian Protocol: don't die." He pressed some buttons and then he added, "Good luck out there." The two Jaegers left the base, with steady steps and their objective clear in mind.

We located Shockwave at opposite corner where we were, working in calculations, trying to predict the next attack. I also saw Soundwave working in silence as always, locating the energon signals the Terrorcon emitted. But there was something missing there... Or better said, someone.

"Where's Laserbeak?" I asked silently.

"Can you see that screen?" My mentor signalled the main panel. "Those images are provided by Soundwave's minicon. Thanks to her we can see what's going on, and also help the pilots."

"Hum." I nodded. There was a silence while everyone worked in their places, without daring to raise their gazes. "Ratchet, I think everyone in here is more than nervous, they are tense." I whispered him from the corner where we were. "Why? I mean, I understand that Terrorcons are dangerous and they can cause huge disasters, but our pilots are trained and the Jaegers were improved. There's no reason to be in such conditions."

"No, Knockout, we do have reasons to feel like that." He looked at my optics. "That Terrorcon is the first Cat. II, and we don't know how will it affect us, or whether the robots will be able to stop it. Not only that, the new Mark II we have sent there, didn't have time to make a test session and it's pilots are amateurs. It's their first time." He looked at the screen again. "We also don't know if Cherno Alpha will respond well to the improvements."

"It will. Shockwave and I have been working hard for that." I said self confidence. "I'm sure it will."

"I hope you're right. Because I have a bad feeling." His comment froze all my systems down.

For a couple of minutes, there was no kind of interaction between the Pan Pacific and the Jaegers. Then the oldest Steam talked. "Hey, Alpha, is the Kiddo there?"

"Yes, he is." The leader responded.

"Tell him Cherno is working smoothly and perfectly fine, we have also incremented the speed. Soon we will locate the beast." I grinned for myself at that comment. "He has gold servos and a great mind!"

The other pilots informed as Diablo Intercept had located the beast, and the fight began. We could see how did they battle, dodging fast and throwing lethal attacks on their opponent. Not far away, Cherno entered in view, holding the miracle mile. The combat was going well, they were getting the monster exhaust, its final seemed to be close, until the beast made a sharp movement which lead the Mark II lose its balance and fell to the ground. The Terrorcon attacked the limbs of the Jaeger, and it reduced it to scrap. We all watched in horror how the Con Pod was smashed. Ratchet was right something wasn't right. Now all our hopes were on Cherno.

The Kaonian titan responded fast, retaking the mission, and putting the Tesla fists into action. The Steams fought, gaining terrain hit after hit. Two agonic hours were gone when finally the Jaeger was able to defeat the beast. "Cherno Alpha to base, Raythe is off lined. We're on our way back."

Shockwave moved towards Alpha Trion, and informed, "The next attack will occur in six months and twelve days."

"Prowl, reset the War Clock." Alpha ordered. "Since we have lost our newest Mark II, it's necessary to speed up the construction of the next one and see if Polyhex has any other." He turned towards his CCO. "Soundwave, need you to comm. Polyhex Shatterdom, Freedom Path, and ask if there's any functional Jaeger, in process or in good enough conditions to be repaired. If they do, we will need them to bridge it here." The faceless mech nodded and started tapping on the keyboard.

Alpha turned towards his scientist. "Knockout come here." I moved fast until I was by Shockwave's side. "You two will have to work on Tacit Ronin and repair him up as soon as possible. We need that brilliant mind and those golden servos working, chop-chop. I also want you to get Romeo Blue ready. We will look for two new pilots. We cannot afford to lose any other Jaeger. We've got just two months to do everything, we need to over take the situation and train the new pilots. Understood?"

"Understood." We both said.

We greeted and both of us returned to our work with the Tarnian titan. This was a race against the clock, and the time was already slipping away, we couldn't afford to lose any more.


	7. Kaonian Elite

_Updated - 28___~08~2019__

* * *

_**Kaonian Elite**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 4th Althian 3217, Iacon**_

Almost two months had passed since the last attack. The Hangar War Clock marked 134 : 16 : 45 : 07. That meant we still had four months and some weeks. The Polyhex Shatterdome had given us three more extra Jaegers just three weeks ago, two new Mark II and Coyote Tango, a Mark I. The last one required a huge amount of repairs, it was all scraped. There were also new pilots around, but Romeo Blue continued without them.

We now possessed seven Jaegers, but could have been eight, if it hadn't been for Diablo Intercept demise. Shockwave and I were now in charge of almost all of them. Since Cherno Alpha didn't need more updates, we decided to leave it just for the maintenance group. Tacit Ronin had had its test session few days ago, the results were promising, so it soon joined the Kaonian titan. Romeo Blue had also been repaired, repainted and buffered, it was now more beautiful than ever, but remained in the hangar without moving, like a giant statue. Coyote Tango, Polyhexian robot, was the one undergoing the biggest part of reconstruction as we reprogrammed the central computer. It was taking all our attention now.

The Mark II, on the contrary, they needn't have to undergo so many test nor improvements, so we just verified the machinery was working well and the connections where right. At least two of them, Eden Assassin, a Kaonian Jaeger, and Puma Real, a Paxian titan, had already had their respective pilots assigned, so we needn't look for them. The newest Mark II, Solar Prophet, only had the Conn-Pod left, but after few intense weeks, it finally found its pilots.

I always had the feeling the Mark II lacked something that their predecessors had. Since the first Jaegers were so radioactive, due to the fuelling energon we used, the engineers who designed the next models tried another type of source. It was a more refined energon, but without the radioactive components. In theory it would be the best source, but in practice, the lacking components made the power lasting shorter, f.e., a Mark I would last for two to five hours, but the newest ones, only lasted for maximum three hours. So, what to do, endanger pilots by placing them on a nuclear energon reactor? Or creating a lot of short lasting robots, and taking the risk of power down during battle?

For the moment, the Pan Pacific didn't release more Mark II, so there was a stop in the production. Now our work would be to improve the efficiency of the any Mark existent Jaegers, and that's what we did. Our attention was focussed on Solar and on Coyote, but then, 4th Althian 3217, Romeo joined them.

I remembered that day, Alpha called me to the command station. When I entered in, I found a pair of identical mech, except for their paint jobs, chatting with him. I approached them. "This is Knockout, the mech who has updated your Jaeger." Alpha presented me. "Knockout, this are Dreadwing..." He signalled a blue and yellow mech, "... And Skyquake..." A green and grey mech, "... The new pilots of Romeo Blue."

"It's a honour for us to control the first Jaeger ever." Dreadwing stated.

"You're twins!" I exclaimed surprised. "That's clever, really clever. Two souls two minds, one spark one machine. This connection will be more complete than any other. It's perfect! This makes them perfect for it." I shook their servos. "Well, right now we were with Coyote Tango, but we can take a break, verify the neural connection and we can do a simulation."

"It would be wise to have Romeo Blue ready at anytime." Alpha stated. "By the way, could you lead them to their respective room once you're done?" He asked me.

"Sure, you're talking about the 214 room..." I assured before making a mistake. "... The one which has Romeo Blue's logo on the door, right?" Alpha just nodded in confirmation. "Ok then. If you're so kind, follow me."

I guided them to the simulation room, mean while I informed about the last happenings around there and a bit of myself too, just to get to know with the new comers. "So well, I'm Knockout, but everyone around here calls me The Kiddo, because of my age, you know." They looked at each other, and then they looked down to me again. Not talkative ones. I decided that the best thing would be to tell the planning. "Right now we will see if you're compatible without a connection, and then you will get into each other's mind."

"Good." The youngest one answered.

"Well, mid time, which one of you is more talkative? Or describes things better?" They looked at me still expressionless, quite confused I think. "It's to determine who will be the pilot and who the copilot. In theory, the mech who describes any action, object or even a feeling, is the one who directs better the orders in a Jaeger, aka, the controller of the right hemisphere." I explained. "On the other hand, the mech whose imagination is able to reconstruct the action described and respects the authority of the right hemisphere is the copilot. In general, age also helps to determine how the positions will be stabilised. That's up to you."

"I've been in the Elite guard of Kaon, in high ranks to be exact." The blue one spoke firmly. "I know how to command."

"I'm here to follow orders." The youngest one stated. "It's a honour to be command under my brother, whose cause I share."

I nodded in acceptance, those mech were the living image of the Decepticon thinking way. Even though that, I had the feeling these two guys weren't so rude as other high ranked Kaonians I used to know. We're entering now the training room. "Ok then. Dreadwing, since you will be the pilot, you will take the place number one. Skyquake, you'll take place number two."

I helped them into the simulation chamber, similar to a Conn-Pod. Then I adjusted them to it, in their respective places. Once they were ready, I explained the rules. "Now, you will act like if you were in a real Jaeger, but without a connection. Since you're twins, it will be easier for you two to coordinate yourselves. The idea is to defeat a Terrorcon and save the city in a time of two hours maximum." I had a look at the two of them. They did had a good frame, capable of standing a long fight. "I warn you. It's not easy, and the difficulty will increase during battle time, simulating the lost of pieces, real movement of the Conn-Pod, and of course, your own fatigue. Any question?" Non of them said nothing. "Remember, coordination and cooperation."

I jumped out of the platform. I programmed the machine, and I prepared the situation. "Now here is your situation. You're in Pan Pacific, and you have received the alarm of a Terrorcon emerging from the breach. It's a Cat. II, code name is Raythe and it's heading Kaon. Neural handshake already stabilised. Your prove starts now."

"Here Romeo Blue, ready to leave, we ask for permission." Dreadwing responded. Most of the beginners forgot about talking to the command station. But they didn't. Good point.

"Romeo Blue, green light." I replied.

Both mechs started moving the machinery while they ran towards the monster showed in the screen in front of them. Their coordination was good, and since they shared a spark, they needn't to talk to each other at all to control de Jaeger. Soon they reached their objective, and no later the battle started. I had decided to use the last real battle in order to keep them updated, I just changed the city, but the battle was the same.

They seemed they had studied their new robot's function since they knew what functional weapons they had. That was good. It was impressive to see them move like one entity. Only twins and sparkmates could use their bond to coordinate so well, but it was difficult to find someone ready to pilot a Jaeger, and even more when that meant to put the cybertronian you most loved into danger.

It took them and hour and three quarters to take the Terrorcon down, not a bad time. Exhaustion was barely present on them, I really started to think that they were machines more than mechs. I helped them down and I wrote few comments on the data pad I was using. "Ok, now I will test your neural handshake." I led them to a pair of berths and I asked them to lay down. I connected few cables to a helmet I gave each other. "Now, relax, and don't think about anything. Your memories will come into the other's mind, just let them flow. It's just another way of communication." I switched on the machine, and soon both mech were experimenting for the very first time entering into their brother's CPU. "Ok, the connection is strong and stable. I want you to move your left arm." Both of them did it simultaneously, that was good. "Now I will show you different images and I want the other one to describe it at loud."

I showed them the pictures, and they answered perfectly fine, they were compatible. Just to make sure everything was correct, I asked then one last task, which consisted to describe feelings or emotional states. It would supposed a challenge for them, after all, Kaonians never allowed themselves to really show any emotion except for vanity, anger and rage.

"One las question." I vented deeply and then I approached to Skyquake. "How does Dreadwing feel? What is it to be into his helm?"

They looked at me confused, trying to determinate the purpose of the issue, but after few minutes the youngest one answered. "My brother... Feels... Calm, secure." He pronounced softly. "It's like a serenity we have share for long, but never felt so close." He added by placing a servo on his chest, directly over his Spark chamber. I looked at Dreadwing, whose vocaliser never made a sound and yet his action had spoken for himself, as he mimicked his brother's gesture. I turned once again towards the youngest one and I locked gaze with him, trying to read deeper.

It took me a minute to react at that. I've never seen Decepticons saying they felt good nor they needed someone close to sense it. I was... Amazed. For some years, I was meant to be rose that way, without feelings at all, and I've gotta say they almost achieved it, but something on me made me fight against it, and now I'm glad I did. If not, I would have ended up enclosing who I really am in the very core of my own being, without letting no one to reach me, always cold and aware of any of my reactions. I finally came back from my thoughts.

"End of the test." I disconnected them. "Now I'll show your room."

"When are we gonna see our Jaeger?" Dreadwing asked.

"Wanna see it now?" I offered. "That way I can introduce you people around here and show you the base. Follow me."

We walked around, giving them details about their Iaconian titan and its new updates. We came across Soundwave in his way to Loccent and we greeted him. "That's Soundwave, our CCO. He controls all Terrorcon activity and keeps communication stable." I introduced almost everyone I knew in there. Soon we arrived to the hangar one, were Romeo Blue was. We were at the titan's pedes.

I was about to say something when a voice behind me greeted. "Hey kiddo, showing new visitors around?"

"Skywarp! What's up my mech?" I greeted back. "I'm showing Romeo Blue to their new pilots." I signalled the twins. "By the way, these are Dreadwing and Skyquake." I turned to look at them. "He's Skywarp Steam. He pilots Cherno Alpha along his brother Soundstricker." I clarified. "I would love to hang around, but not all of us have free time. We will talk later, if you don't mind."

"I see you're busy. I won't disturb you now." The Steam brother wave a good bye. "See you later, Kiddo."

"Shall we have a look at the Conn-Pod?" I suggested. They simply nodded.

We climbed up the catwalk, until we were levelled with the robot's head. I think I was more enthusiastic than them, it was the third time I was inside there, but anyway, I was looking forward to it. I explained them few things as they examined the machinery meticulously, and after long time I finally led them to their quarters.

"This is your room. If you take that corridor you will head the hangars and the preparation room, if you take the opposite one, you will head the canteen and the training room. If you need anything, you'll find people around glad to help you." I paused looking at the clock in my arm. "K, Shockwave will let you know when are we going to test Romeo. See you later, and of course, welcome to Pan Pacific."

I returned to my own room, where I started analysing the data collected that day. All in all, the results said that their compatibility was about the 94%, higher than any other actual pilot we had. I had a feeling deep inside my chest, into the very core of my spark. I envied them, they were so close... And they did have each other.

Anyway, there was another feeling all over my frame: Tiredness. I would have sworn that morning I made more exercise than all the pilots together in a training session. A nap wouldn't make any harm, right?

—

Some knocking on my door woke me up. I opened it and I found Ratchet standing outside. "Are you ok? Did somethings happen to you?" He asked me worried, examining me. "You weren't at lunchtime, where were you?"

"Oh! I was in my room. I felt so tired that I closed my optics for a moment." I explained still trying to start up all my systems. "So I did lose lunchtime, didn't I?"

He nodded. "I brought a cube." He offered it to me. I drank it almost immediately, after all, I was hungry and I needed to refuel. "Have you been recharging well?"

"Yes... It's just that I have been all the morning going up and down the base. You know, showing the twins Pan Pacific."

"Well, if you haven't spent enough time with them, you're testing Romeo in ten minutes." He laughed. "Want me to tell Shockwave you're resting or are you coming?" He snuggled me lightly, making sure I was right. In response I rested my helm on his shoulder guard, processing his offer without really thinking about it. He shook me lightly "Hey, Knockout...?

I finally onlined and I managed to understand what was going on. "Miss Romeo Blue test!? No way I'm losing it!" I replayed enthusiastically, raising my helm and grabbing my mentor by the arms, firmly. "It's the opportunity of my life! I have always dream about been inside that Jaeger and... Piloting it. But since that seems to be impossible now, not gonna miss the ride."

"Then Knockout, go for it." Ratchet pushed me carefully, encouraging me. I took my data pad and I ran down the hall. I heard Ratchet shouting at me from behind. "When you're back I want details about it!"

"K! I'll tell you blow by blow!" I shouted back with my thumb up, turning round the corner.


	8. Romeo Blue

_Updated - 06___~09~2019__

* * *

_**Romeo Blue**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 4th Althian 3217, Iacon**_

I arrived just in time to test Romeo. Shockwave was waiting for me and the twins were already wearing their respective suit. We entered and I felt even more excited than when I rode Cherno or Ronin. I was gonna ride my favourite Jaeger ever and, even though it wasn't with the original pilots, I was making a dream come true. I felt the adrenergon running through my veins, and my optics overlit.

We secured our selves as the twins occupied their respective places. The machinery started up and finally, after few never-ending minutes, the Iaconian titan came to life. In the very core of my spark, I wished I could do the same one day, but soon dismissed the idea, I was just a simple scientist, not a hero. The titan stepped forward, directly to the opened gate, and we exited out the hangar from the Bay 2. We had a walk around the city of Iacon. It was great, I could admire the beauty of the sunlight over the metallic city. Some of the buildings weren't much taller than Romeo's hip, and once again the feeling of being powerful overtook me. We also saw a sparkling who waved at us. It was so cute. The twins didn't looked at the kid, but if I had been the pilot, I would have waved back. But well, I wasn't the pilot and we weren't on a tour around the block.

Romeo walked until it reached a large deserted area, where we were gonna make the practices. The first thing we did was to make it run, and since the modification I did, the Jaeger was a real runner. I felt proud when Shockwave recognised the fact of the improvements. Then we tested every function of the Jaeger, taking into account even the tiniest details.

The whole thing took us four hours but we were satisfied. Once we reached the Pan Pacific and out of the Jaeger, we decided to let Romeo aside, just for maintenance. There were now five Jaegers out of seven fully operational, so our attention saw now fully centred on Coyote Tango and the construction of Solar Prophet's Conn-Pod.

I walked down the hall uneasy, heading the lab, and every step I took, more I felt the necessity of going for a drive. I really needed to use my tyres once more, feel the wind on my windshield, the pure taste of the speed and the road left behind. I changed my direction and entered the command station. I was looking for Alpha Trion, but for my surprise, he wasn't there. Soundwave showed me a video camera record, showing he was sat outside Pan Pacific, just at the entrance, alone. I thanked the purple mech and I exited.

Some minutes later, I found the elder mech, just where he was. It felt great to exit for a while the base, and I tried to enjoy every second there. We were allowed to exit the base, but we all were so concentrated on our work that we even lack time for it. It was oppressive, I had the feeling I was choking.

I sat by his side in silence, trying to guess where and what was he looking at. We gave few minutes in a really comfortable silence, just admiring the calm of the Rust Sea and the sunset's orange colours' reflect on every metallic surface. "I knew you would come here." He commented without looking at me. "Did you like it?" He was referring to the Jaeger test.

"Awesome... I cannot help it, but I feel envy about it." I murmured. "I really would like to have some action out there..." There was a silence.

"That's why you came here, you wanna get out, right?" He looked at me tenderly. "Too much work with the Jaegers?"

"Not at all, it's just... I need to go for a drive." I explained quietly, stretching my back. "I do enjoy the work I do, the people around me, the treat they give me, everything. But I need to be myself as well. I need to transform, I need to feel my tyres against the pavement... You know me. You know I do really love speed... That's why I came here, to ask you if I could go for a drive."

"Naturally." He laid a servo on my shoulder. "Go. Have fun." He gave me a warm smile before he got up and walked into the base.

I didn't think it twice. I transformed and sped up until I reached my top velocity, hitting the road ahead. That was my moment.

* * *

Alpha walked through the corridors, occasionally greeting people, but determined to find his friend. He soon came across him. "Prowl, we need to talk. Come to my quarters." He just said as both mechs walked side to side.

They finally entered in a room with a huge window, which had a beautiful view of the city and the Rust Sea, and had part of the floor with water fountains. "I guess it's about Knockout, right?" The youngest one asked. Alpha nodded. "What is it?"

"I think he needs some entertainment." He explained. "He is a young mech, you know what that means. He needs to work himself out. He may practice some kind of spots or exercise on his free time, but not enough to satisfy his needs." He silenced for a while, thoughtfully. "Prowl, we used to pilot Romeo Blue. You know how does the simulator work. Why don't you get the kid in one while you test him?"

"Without been noticed..." The cop concluded. "That's clever. If he doesn't like it, we can give him just an entertainment for a while. But if he likes it we can keep him working... Good, I'll ask him anytime soon, that way he won't suspect anything." Prowl grinned, with illusion in his optics.

"Just remembered not to overtrain him. He's still growing." Alpha reminded. It was a hard work for a young mech, and he didn't want his scientist injured.

"Sure. We will start with light missions, so that he gets used to it." He took out the data pad, searching for something. "Ok, we could start with Polyhex battle. Romeo Blue vs a Cat I." He said raising his gaze. "It will be easy enough to start. Then we will start increasing the difficulty."

The white mech nodded. "Very well. Go ahead."


	9. The Simulation

_Updated - 13___~09~2019__

* * *

_**The Simulation**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 11th Althian 3217, Iacon**_

I could qualify this day as a great day. I had never expected to be given the opportunity. It had passed a week since I went for my first drive to Iacon, and since then I did it every day. I was a speed lover and I couldn't keep my T-cog without movement and my tyres stopped. But that wasn't what made my day incredible.

I was sat on the upper level with my pedes hanging over the edge, while I talked vividly with a vehicon called Steve. He really was like me, bright and full of life. He really loved music and dancing. Not only that, he organised twice a month a karaoke night to destress the tense atmosphere. I think I should give a try any day.

Suddenly, Prowl came and knelt by my side. "Hi Steve, what's up?"

"Here, getting to know the Kiddo." He pushed me softly.

Prowl laughed. "I see, trying to get him to the karaoke night?"

"You caught me!" Steve raised his servos in surrender.

Then the cop turned to me. "Hey, Knockout, so you busy?"

"Nah, not really." I answered. "Just chatting with Steve."

"Then you wouldn't mind helping me, right?" He teased me with a glow in his optics.

"Sure!" I stood up and greeted the vehicon as I followed Prowl. "Where we going?"

"You'll soon know it." He smirked slightly. "Just... be patient."

I couldn't handle my nerves, I was so excited! My expectations grew at each step, specially when he walked pass my room and the command station. Were we heading the training room? What was he up to?" We soon stopped in front of a door, as Prowl opened it, through its panel. The stance wasn't new for me, it was the simulation room. I stood still, in confusedness. Why were we here?

"The simulator room." I stated confused.

"Yeah!" He turned to look at me, grinning. "Isn't it exciting?"

"Of course..." There were no pilots in there. Who were we testing then? "Why are you programming the computer? Are we gonna test any pilot?" I wondered as he typed fast.

"That's right!" He walked towards a closet and he opened it.

"They are late." I commented taking my data pad out.

"Hey Kiddo, you don't need that." I put it again on its place. The cop walked towards me and he raised my arms to my shoulder level as he started to attach pieces of a suit to my plates. I looked at him still not understanding what was he doing. "Oh! By the way, the two pilots are already here."

"Wait. Are gonna do the simulator together?" My optics couldn't go wider.

"Yes." He said finishing with me and putting his own suit on. "I needed to do some exercises and since I miss what was like controlling a Jaeger, I thought it would be good to go under simulation. Since I still had a pilot missing, and remembering your excitement while riding Cherno, I thought you may wanted to help me."

A genuine smile crossed my face side to side. "Of course, sir!" I said following the pilots protocol.

"Come, I'll help you placing on the simulator." He guided me.

We entered the machine, and I soon had all the cables and controls attached to its respective place. But there was something it didn't suit there. "Prowl, why am I in the right hemisphere, the pilot's place?"

"Well, I've always been the copilot, and I'm intrigued to see if you're capable of guiding me." He explained with a hint of slyness. "Ok, we will do the whole protocol, I mean, informing the command station, getting information of the Terrorcon we will face... Everything, all right?"

"Yes." My voice trembled in emotion. I was gonna be a pilot, well kind of, for few hours. "Ready, copilot?"

"Go ahead." He nodded.

"Romeo Blue ready for mission. We request information about the Terrorcon we will fight and the city it's heading to." I asked to the computer.

An electronic voice answered me. "Terrorcon Cat. I, code name... Onibaba. City heading, Cristal City... Distance left... Two miles." I suspected that Prowl had programmed the easiest mission he knew, and I think he added my natal city to make me tickle. Ok, did he want to see me into action? Then I would not disappoint him.

"Ready for the neural drift." I ordered.

"Establishing neural handshake... Neural Handshake strong and working." The voice answered. We were not connected, but it made the simulation more real.

"Calibrating the Jaeger." We both knew the movement we needed to do, Prowl because he had been a pilot, and I because I had seen them doing it. I tried to do it as accurately as I could.

"Don't look at me, Knockout. Your gaze must be always looking at the front." He corrected me. "Remember you're the right hemisphere, I am the one who has to follow you, and you have to make your orders clear. If you do so, we don't even need to look or worry about the other one." I nodded.

"Jaeger calibrated." The feminine voice said again.

"Romeo Blue, ready to leave." I said as the last part of the protocol.

"Green light." The voice replied.

"Ok, let's start walking with right leg." I said. We both moved simultaneously. "Left... Right... Left..."

I kept saying it for a while, until Prowl cut me off. "You don't need to guide me in every step we take, you have already settled the path." He grinned at me, and then he laughed. "I did the same in my first simulation." We both laughed while walking. At the really beginning it was quite easy to move the platform, but then it started getting a bit harder. "Hey Knockout, why don't we try to run?"

"K. Ready to run in three.. Two... One." I ordered. "Left, Right, Left, Right." It was harder than what I thought, and even though I was fit, and I had a good muscular mass, I had a hard time following Prowl's path.

"Keep up, Kiddo!" I realise that I was falling behind, so I speeded up path. "Ok, I see the Terrorcon. What do we do now?" He was waiting for instructions, my instructions.

"First off all, unable it to continue walking, so, I would suggest to try to injure the legs." I thought fast. "Two direct blows to its head and right knee to his vent system."

We both moved almost like one, punching the imaginary monster with all our strength. "Three blows to head... Block left arm... Step back... High kick to head... Walk behind... Enabling main weapon in three... Two... One... Now!"

I didn't even noticed but I was completely exhausted. The simulation took us two hours and a half, a bit more than a real battle. We finally got out of the machine and we took the suits off. Then Prowl read the results at loud, not letting me see them. "Not bad at all, but it could be better. 67% coordination." The cop said. "Well, to be your first time, you have done it pretty well. Congrats kid, your first Jaeger simulation." He patted my shoulder. "How was it?"

"I like it." I answered, almost ready to do it again, even though the fatigue I felt. "So, when are you going to take the next... Training session?" I asked slyly.

He laughed vividly. "Don't become addicted, it may be a while until the next time." He said heading the exit. "But, if you want, I may offer you another chance." He added before leaving.

* * *

Prowl found him in his quarters. "Alpha, I've tested him." He showed him the real results. "85%. You know other pilots are less accurate than him. He was able to guide me perfectly well. I suspect he has attended some fighting classes."

"More than what you might have imagined, my friend." The elder mech left the data pad on the table and stood up. "He really did. In a very intensive way, and almost dangerous, but he did." Prowl looked at him surprised and confused. "Long story, but for the moment, I would suggest you to keep training him. Whenever it's the time to take next step, he'll let you know." He rested his servos on his shoulders. "By the way, I'll tell you that he really learns fast. You will have to be creative my friend."

The cop vented thoughtfully. "Very well then, let's get creative."


	10. Sketching The Future

_Updated - 20___~09~2019__

* * *

_**Sketching The Future**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 12th Iaconian 3223, Iacon**_

Six years were gone, we battled new Terrorcons, we lost five Jaegers, only leaving Cherno and Puma Real. Yes, we were almost lacking Jaegers, and we could not keep improving the ones we had, because we already had made all possible changes.

We were all nervous and there was a palpable tension in the air. It was settled during the last attack, five months now, when we lost our last Jaeger, Tacit Ronin. The Terrorcons were getting stronger, and in the last fights, we started losing robots. It was now two years and a half that we lost Eden Assassin and Solar Prophet, a year and few weeks that Coyote Tango was deceased, and now a year that he lost Romeo Blue, a great loss. That left us quite unarmed. The R.R.D.C. was getting nervous, and they were pressing Alpha more than ever. We were having a bad time calming them down. Anyway, we would come up with something soon.

Talking about myself, I didn't even realise, but time had flown since first I came here with just sixteen, and now, I was already twenty-two. And I suffered some changes myself. My shoulder plates grew wider and I also displayed a higher shoulder-guard, my helm got pointier and the fin got more prominent, my legs lengthen, stylising my silhouette, my voice became lower and a goatee had appeared on my chin. Some inner mechanisms and systems had also undergone changes. I was a real knock out, which started attracting femmes' attention. I must say that my seductive red optics didn't help either.

Not only that, my body also toned up, getting a bigger muscular mass, due to Prowl's training sessions. He had taught me in a really curious way, taking advantage of the whole base instead of just the training room. Every object or element was a useful thing to train with. At the beginning, people looked at us quite confused, some even laughed, but then they got used to it and become something common in our daily lives. We even had some pilots working alongside us, like the Steams, never missed a chance to show their greatness. He was getting more comfortable with me training alongside him, and he also taught me everything he did when he was a pilot. I was like a son to him, and he had become almost like a father to me.

Talking about mech that had adopted me, Ratchet treated me like a grown college, occasionally giving me father advice, which I loved. I also started arguing with him and Shockwave as a scientist. Pharma always said that they had corrupted my mind, that I started acting like them, and he gave us the name of 'Grumpy Doctors'. Just another nickname to add to my list.

And last, but not least, Alpha. He was the mech who treated me with respect, but also with kindness. He had given me a lot of opportunities during my life, and that day, 12th of Iaconian 3223, he gave me best chance ever.

I was called to his quarters, and I found him looking through the window. I walked towards him and he informed me about the situation. "Knockout, you already know that we are undergoing a crisis. We have just two Jaegers left, and I'm afraid that they are not enough to fight the now stronger Terrorcons back." He let the words sank on my processor. "I need your ideas and your skills working again."

"I wouldn't mind, but I cannot improve the Jaegers anymore." I tried to explain.

"I know it, that's why will ask you the most important task you have ever made." He let few seconds of suspense, he really love having me anxious. "You're going to design the very first Mark III."

I had to suppress a joy cry as a smile crossed my face. "You mean from zero? Design a Jaeger from the inner mechanisms to each cover plates?"

"Yes." He confirmed. "It will be your own Jaeger, Knockout. Your design, your style, your calculations... You may also give a designation of your own if you wish to do so." He added. I didn't read between lines, so I didn't understood what he really meant. "But one condition. The first final sketch must be done in seven months, maximum a year. It's not easy. Will you be able to fulfil the task?"

"Well, I can have the covering plates and form today. I would only have to figure out how to fit machinery in and make the necessary changes." I said, gesturing. "Anyway, how difficult can be to design a Jaeger?" I added self confident. I think I opened my mouth too soon. But since I was really a stubborn, even though it took me ages to finish it without recharging, I would do it. I was decided to complete that task and give the best of me, after all, we were talking about my own designed mecha, and I loved it.

"Ok, then, I'm getting down to work." I prepared to leave.

"Knockout, remember, anything you need, ask for it to anyone." He suggested. "I would be glad to watch the progress of it. And remember, as long as possible, discretion. We need some time to tell R.R.D.C. our plans. That way, they may calm down and stop stinging us."

I nodded and I exited the room. I could have worked in my quarters, but I felt more inspired working surrounded by scientists. In fact, I really wanted to show myself off. And fortunately, the Laboratory had windows that let me the Jaegers' hangar in view. Prefect for hunting ideas.

I entered in and I stood still. It didn't seem they had noticed me, so I cleared my voice and I straightened myself up, puffing my plates, full of pride. The three scientists looked up at me. "You'll never guess what Alpha asked me to do."

"Let me guess." Pharma taunted. "Humm... Alpha told you to disassemble the Jaegers and assemble them again." He joked. "Maybe you can even count all the bolts." He laughed, mimicking. "... Two hundred thirty-one... Two hundred thirty-two... Two hundred thirty-thr... I'm lost, so I will have to start again!" He mocked.

"Yeah, really funny, Pharma. I think you could help me... Help me losing them." I replied, kidding him too. Ratchet giggled, hiding his smile behind his hand, and Shockwave stated that was illogical, as always. I could smell a discussion from where I was, or may be a scientific argument? Who knew!

"Ok, guys, no need to start over Pharma's Illogical joke." Ratchet intervened before anyone did. "Now, let's let the kid talk. He's anxious." He added reading my body language. "Come on, tell us."

"I'm gonna design my own Jaeger." I said hilariously. "Every plate and piece, even the bolts' shape if I want. Everything on my own. And the coolest part, the name!"

"That's a logical decision." Shockwave shook my hand. "Congratulations, Dr. Knockout."

"Ah! Good job Knockout, you're gonna build history." Ratchet also shook my hand. "Everyone will know your Jaeger, and I'm sure they will love it."

"Superb Kiddo." Pharma approached, and he whack my back. "Now, how are you gonna name it?"

"Still no idea, but I'll come up with something, eventually." I answered, rubbing the spot where he had scratched my plates slightly. "So I came here to work, other ways, I would end up bored." I explained. "Oh! By the way, I would appreciate not to tell anybody in Pan Pacific about this. I want to have it ready as soon as possible and make sure that by the time they learn about it, it would be in construction." They nodded.

I shat on a chair, in front of a desk and I took my data pad. I took an intelligent pencil, and I opened a blank page. Then, I did the very first line of the sketch of my Jaeger. I isolated myself from everything, focusing on the draft. I had always thought about how would have looked like a new Jaeger when I was younger, and now, those ideas were coming back to me. I could see different plates taking form and assembled to others. Step by step, line by line, I drew the first foot.

I wanted the robot to have a good base, not something that could destabilise the whole structure, so I did it big and flat enough but proportioned in order to seek beauty and efficiency at once. I also tried to make it in someway attractive, with good looking, and of course unique, easy to recognise every plate. And of course resistant and fast.

I came up with the ankle's shape, trying to make flexible enough to assure a good... No, a perfect walking cycle. I continued sketching up the leg. I didn't want sharp lines like Cherno Alpha had, nor the tubular thigh of Puma Real. I wanted my robot to have a smooth leg, more natural, more resembling to a giant Cybertronian...

A memorial crossed my mind. I remembers the impression Cherno gave me when it came fully online. That's it! That was the key of this. I needed to make the Jaeger like a giant Cybertronian being, I needed it to make it come to life, metaphorically of course. It had to be an extension of its future pilots, an extension of its creator... An extension of myself.

I could feel there was someone behind me, watching over my shoulder and regarding my sketch, but I wasn't really aware of it. I kept sketching, this time coping the leg. That was the best, I only needed to sketch a leg and an arm, and then just copy the design. That let me to wonder how to make the rest of the Jaeger, but first, let's do it step by step.

Sometimes, I raised my gaze in order to compare my drawing with the other Jaegers. I was content with the leg design. Then I moved to the hip, and I decided to do it narrow, I wanted it to look like a mech, even though in my mind I started referring at it like her. At the end, she ended up having a more feminine frame than what I had expected, even though if it had a mech form.

I sketched also the torso, powerful and toned up, perfect for fast moves, but also strong to support the weight of the chest and shoulders. I kept working up. The chest was wide, and I gave it a round nucleus, where the nuclear energon core was gonna be. That was the main power source of the titan. Almost all the Jaegers had it there, so that if any limb was left, the machinery could continue working and far enough from the pilots so that they would not suffer from radiation, in theory. But that was too good to be true, after all, all de systems nourished with nuclear power ended up irradiating everything, and specially the pilots inside it.

I decided I would have a look to the power source, just in case I could improve it. Then the next ideas were for the arms. I didn't have an idea for the shoulders, but it turned up that the answer was just in front of me, or maybe just behind me. I turned around the chair and I observed. Pharma was watching something in the microscope, few meters away from me. Shockwave was working with his experiments on the table in the right site of the room, and Ratchet was just behind me, observing my sketch.

"Don't move." I stated. Everyone looked at me confused. I observed them, and I decided that they looked just perfect for it. "Ok, Pharma, you can continue working. But you two have to stand still." I decided to make a mash up of Shockwave and Ratchet. They looked at each other and then at me. I sketched in a new page the shoulder guards they had and I mixed up the different possibilities.

"Why have we have to be still?" My mentors wondered.

"Because I need a model and you two are perfect!" I grinned. I drew few more lines and the I stood up and walked in front of the purple mech. "K, Ratchet, you can continue with... Whatever you were doing." I said looking at Shockwave and measuring his plates with the pencil. "Few more details and... Done!" I raised the data pad to watch the result, I loved it. "Thank you all, you can continue with your things." I sat back on my chair, not paying attention to their confusion face.

"What were you even doing?" Pharma asked.

"I needed ideas for the shoulder guards, so it resulted that our colleagues had the perfect structure." I explained. "And now, I have mixed both plates and voilà! The perfect combination for my Jaeger." I put the shoulder design on the full robot design, and to be honest it suited perfectly well. "I dedicate you the shoulder of the titan." I added. "By the way, Pharma, which is your favourite number?"

"34. Why?" He asked.

"Well, since they have given me the idea for the shoulder, and I'm dedicating you that part of the Jaeger, I want it to have something yours, even if it is part of the paint job." I could see a smile on his face plates, and that made me happy. I loved making people smile with gratitude as much as I loved been polished.

I returned down to work, and soon had the arms and hand design. I only had the con pod left, but I couldn't come up with any idea. I decided I wanted her to have a Conn-Pod like helm, not like a tin, with visor and not so many flat plates or angles. Of course, is easier to bend lines in a drawing rather than metal in real life. But even though that, I still couldn't come up with nothing, so I saved the drawing and I got out for lunch with the rest of my colleagues.


	11. The Genius

_Updated - 27___~09~2019__

* * *

_**The Genius**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 04th Tarnian 3223, Iacon**_

Three months were already gone. I gave a month sketching the internal mechanisms of the limbs, now I was working on the joints between them and the next step was to figure out how to get a nuclear reactor into the chest. But well, it would take me quite a lot of time, after all, I still had the physical and mathematical work left. And of course, I was running out of time. Not proud of it.

Anyway, when I showed Alpha Trion the first drawing, he looked impressed, and also intrigued. Yeah, I presented him a Jaeger without a Conn-Pod. I explained him that I couldn't come up with any idea for it. He just told me to relax, that I would eventually sketch it with no problem. And that's how my Jaeger got green light to be continued, helmless.

Everything was going quite well, all things considered, but discretion wasn't a virtue among some of us. The Mark III project, even if just few knew about it, was soon known all over the base, thanks to a member of The Genius, Pharma. Oh! I haven't mentioned it before, my bad. Our scientist group was now called The Genius, and our lab was now The Genius Zone, obvious. At the really beginning we were called The Geniuses, but it turned out people around found it difficult to pronounce it, so said name was shorten, leaving us to be known as The Genius.

So, as I was saying, we entered the canteen, ready to have some energon. I had quite a lot of good suggestions going around my mind and yet not enough for what I needed. I hated to admit it, but I went blank and I had no idea how to go on. Pressure was starting to make me show fangs in some occasion and it was taking the worst out of me. I decided to dismiss it until I got back to work after a good and relaxed lunch.

Only that said lunch never happened. That was my luck, always a pothole on the way that never let me be at ease. As soon as we sat on our table, Pharma got up and called everyone's attention.

"Ok, everyone listen to me." The white and blue mech said. Once he got the rest attention he began to speak. "The Kiddo here, is gonna safe the R.R.D.C. and Cybertron. How? Easy, it's being a while since he started, but he is innovating the ultimate, most dangerous, fastest and newest Jaeger, the first Mark III, which will end up with every Terrorcon on its way. War days will be over soon comrades." In that moment I would have loved to offline him there, right in the spot where he was. "Not only that, he has dedicated the shoulder plates to The Genius, which will wear the number 34 on it. Come on Knockout, tell us a bit more."

Everyone turned to look at me, awaiting. I smiled nervously, and then I sat up, really slowly. What to do? Shockwave didn't show any emotion, as always. Ratchet on the contrary said everything with his optics, he was gonna kill Pharma, and Prowl was away in another table. "Well, is true that I'm working in a new Jaeger, a Mark III, but I still need to make a lot before it's send to construction zone." I tried to get out of the awkward situation by using the handy _talk-much-and-say-nothing_ thing.

"Hey, Knockout, you aren't saying that your robot will be better than Cherno, are you?" The eldest Steam asked, in a tricky tone.

"I still have no idea how will it look like, nor how good will it be." I answered, trying not to gain them as enemies again. "Anyway, we all know that Cherno has offline more Terrorcons than any Jaeger. That will be difficult to overtake." I added, making the Kaonians relax, satisfying their ego.

"How will you name it?" A vehicon asked behind me.

"Ah... No idea." I answered.

"What colours will it have?" Another one spoke up, curious.

"Ah... No idea." I repeated.

"What weaponry are you giving it?" An azure and pink femme, with determined optics, inquired me at the very back of the room, next to Prowl.

I didn't really pay her much attention as I tried to figure out how to evade awkward questions. "Ah... Still no idea." I was getting nervous, like a trapped animal trying to look for a runaway.

"So, what do you have?" A security mech asked behind me. I turned to look at him. "I mean, if you have no idea about anything, is there anything done for sure or is it another unfounded rumour to keep us all easy down?"

"Ok, I think we should let him have lunch, so that he can come back to work as soon as possible." Prowl intervened. I thanked him silently, but this was something I had to do.

"No, this goes for real." I stated back, cold helm. "I will allow you to question my decision of not telling you yet, but you will not question my work." A really cold silence was settled. I made a pause and continued. "There is a work in process and it will eventually be finished. I'm still structuring and figuring out how to make up a perfect machine out of nowhere. Such works cannot be made in an afternoon, can be?" Another pause. "If someone here thinks they can design and build an new Mark III better than myself, I will gladly give them the project and I'll step aside." I inquired, gazing people around. "If not, I'm open to any ideas, suggestions and so on. So, if you're done criticising me, let me have lunch, and I just might finish earlier to keep working." I finally made myself clear, so I sat down and ate my energon, bad-tempered.

When I was done, I left the canteen and headed The Genius Zone, where I was tempted to tear apart all my scrawls and even the lab itself. I was mad. So mad that my mind refused to get down to work. After some minutes, I just sat down and vented deeply, maybe I could cool myself before getting into matter. It worked, at least for some time, until I got company again.

Some hours later, the rest of the scientist entered, followed by Prowl. "... Don't you see that you have gained him such a pressure apart from the one he already had? Now he will have to speed up in his work, what can lead to errors, and that to lose sparks." He was scolding the scientist. "He's gonna have the R.R.D.C. on, watching every move he does, even when he vents."

"I thought he had the Jaeger already on its finishing way and everyone would be thrilled about it, so why not letting them know?" Now I was starting to feel anxiety over my frame. My design wasn't completed, far from it. "People out there need a motivation, need to feel they are safe, need to know they are contributing to something big, something more than just themselves! And this Jaeger it's precisely that!" Pharma tried to explain himself.

"Yes, and now, if we want to complete the task and keep the R.R.D.C. content, he will have to finish it in two months, perhaps three." Prowl replied. "Good intention, Pharma, but incorrect action. You can't push someone who's over the edge of the hill further, and that's what you've done. Don't you see the res..."

"Ahhhrg! Can you two just shut your mouths up!" I growled so loud that they became muttered, piercing glare on my optics. "I do have enough pressure now, so thank you! You're not helping neither." I stated sardonically as I gathered my things. I decided to continue working in my quarters. "Now, with your permission, I'll be in my room." I stated as I stood up and I exited the lab, dark expression on.

I was heading my quarters when my pedes decided to lead me anywhere. I wandered for a moment through the metallic corridors, not minding cybertronians around nor their comments. I finally took a hint of where was I heading, Alpha's room. Yes, I needed to talk to him. Fortunately, I found him in his there, lucky me.

I knocked the door, I entered in and I waited in silence until he turned to face me. "Come here, Knockout, take a sit if you wish." I didn't know what to think, but I did as told. The project wasn't a secret, but it would have been more sensible to carry it out in a more discrete way. Things where getting sticky around lately, specially since R.R.D.C.' s warnings. I was about to hear an scolding, for sure.

Instead, Alpha sat by my side and took my data pad out my servos. I tried to explain the situation, but nothing came out of my mouth so I closed it and looked at the floor. For my surprise, he didn't look the progresses of the Jaeger, he just left the data pad on the table. Then he looked at me and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Prowl has told me what happened. You came here to talk about it, right?" I nodded. "Then, tell me, what's wrong?"

I didn't know how to explain it. "Alpha... I would have loved to have the Jaeger finished, and to be able to let know everyone this new Jaeger will make it well, but... I... I will not be able to fulfil the task." Those words hurt me in the very core of my spark. "I'm sorry." I still hadn't looked at him.

"Ok, I just want a reason why you want to throw in the towel." He let those last words sank in my processor. I reminded in silence, since I didn't even know the answer myself. He just snorted. "Anyway, I knew you weren't capable of it, but I least you have left quite good material for our next engineer." He stated a bit slyly. "I just have to add that I appreciate your work. Thank you." He was now been swindler, like I've never seen him before. "Oh! By the way, since you haven't completed the project, the next one will be given the congratulations for your work, and also put its signature on it." He knew that would make me tickle. "Well done."

I raised my gaze, with an expression between anger, frustration and disbelief. "What!?" I spatted angrily. "No way! No way other one takes my merits for granted. I'm not giving up." I stood up and I reached my data pad ready to leave. "Me, doing the job for somebody else, and become the great loser? Ha! Over by offlined frame!" I continued as I reached the door.

I could hear Alpha laughing behind me. I stoped in my tracks and turned around. He was looking at me with a genuine smile on his face plates. "What." I asked seriously. Suddenly the reality hit me hard, as my optics opened in astonishment. "Wait, you have been using inverse psychology on me!?" I couldn't believe it. "Have you!?"

He laughed hard as he nodded. "Come here, sit down." He said still smiling.

"I hate you, Alpha." I sat as before. "I hate you."

"I know you mean love." He answered back. He always had good come backs. "Good, I have achieved my objective, keeping you working on your Jaeger. Now, getting serious. I know that you can do it, and I know that you're under pressure, but you can perform the task perfectly well. I've seen you saving lives with cold helm in really dangerous and stressful situation, so I have no doubt that you will do it fine." He paused for a moment. "About dates, I'm not gonna cut down your deadline. I gave you almost a year, and you still have time. I want the work well done, not just done."

"Then, you're suggesting that I do not have to do it in a rush?" I asked, hoped.

"I know you do well your job and that you always finish everything before deadlines, with quite a lot of time left." He answered. "I'm not even afraid about this work." He said really calm.

"And Pan Pacific? What to do with curious people?" I was still trying to figure out how to avoid all those awkward questions. "I cannot hide in my room and hope they will leave me alone."

"I'm already on it." He winked an optic in confidence. "Now, don't stress yourself and keep working as before. Go for it."

"Thank you." I nodded and I exited the room, heading the lab again, determination filling my spark. I would feel more comfortable in company of my fellows rather than in a lonely and tiny cubicle. Plus, I owed then a really-really huge apology for my previous lame behaviour.

I found the scientist in there as I'd expected, working on their respective things, and Prowl sitting on my chair, chatting with Ratchet, quietly. They all muted and turned to face me. Pharma stood up and walked towards me. "Hey, Knockout... I'm sorry, I didn't meant to put you in such a situation... I..."

"No Pharma, there's nothing you have to apologise for." I said sincerely, laying my servo on his shoulder. "You were right. I'm the one who has to apologise, to all of you. I haven't treat you fairly this last months and I'm ashamed of it. I just hope you can forgive me." They looked confused. "And till now I haven't seen it so clear."

"You were under pressure. Any cybertronian would have acted like you did." Ratchet spoke shortly. "I don't think there's nothing to forgive at all."

"We were not even angry with you, Kiddo." Prowl replied. "But we do appreciate you gesture.

"Logical." We heard a murmur at the back. This kind of situation never were fully understood by our fellow scientist Shockwave.

"Well, I think we're not called The Genius for nothing." Pharma grinned, resting his arm on my shoulder. "What would we be without each other?"

"Precisely!" I smiled enthusiastically. "I've being too blind to really see what I had just in front of me. And it took me a while to see it crystal clear, but now have what I need just before me." I paused to look at the rest. "I need you, all of you in this project. I need your intelligence Shockwave, your precision Ratchet, your knowledge Pharma and your experience Prowl."

I walked forwards, to the centre of the room. "Shockwave, your numbers never fail. Ratchet, you're a surgeon, you act with precision and you do know when something is well done. I need your critic point of view for it. Pharma, you are the one who better understands the Terrorcons. You do know their weak points, and who better to make our Jaeger stronger than a Terrorcon expert? And Prowl, you have been a pilot. You know how a Jaeger and a Cybertronian need to be connected. You do know how does a Conn-Pod work." I let my words sank.

Alpha was right, all I needed was to ask for help. "I have realised I can't do this on my own, I need your help. I need you to work alongside me. I need you as my team." They looked between them, and then to me again. "Are you with me?"

"Kiddo, we're already in." Pharma walked up to me once more. "Terrorcons you said? That's what I know. Count on me!"

"It's logical to have a work team in such a big project." Shockwave concluded. "I'll supervise your calculations."

"I can tell you how to construct your missing Conn-Pod." Prowl added.

"I can critic your design as I criticised your medicine skills." Ratchet said ironically. "I need to get that habit back."

"Then, let's get down to work." I grinned. "Let's show Terrorcons what The Genius are able to do... Together."


	12. Gipsy Danger

_Updated - 13___~10~2019__

* * *

_**Gipsy Danger**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 14th Kalisian 3223, Iacon**_

The following months were chaotic, but hopefully fruitful. The whole robot was already designed. Each one in there had given their point of view, their ideas, their objections and now putting everything together, it made the Jaeger look good, great. She was almost completed, I could also see her standing in the hangar, next to Puma Real, just were Romeo Blue had been time ago.

Pharma had explained me so much about the Terrorcons that I could say I almost became as expert as him, but of course, reaching his level was impossible without his same enthusiasm. With that, the weaponry was designed, and the alloy of the material we should use against their fluids were refined. Shockwave had helped me with the mechanisms. All of them were in their respective place and with precise measures. It was like a big jigsaw puzzle, with all his components assembled in the right place, just like a masterpiece

Few weeks ago, I could finally figure out how would the head look like. Yeah, she had finally her helm designed. I decided to give her a sweeternfly like visor, which allowed the pilots to see what was happening at their sides, enlarging the visual field. I also made her look like if she was wearing a battle mask. That made the whole design spectacular. It suited perfectly well.

Few details were left, such as the new energon source, which was almost completed and few more details to the Conn-Pod. Prowl had also helped me with the head's interior design. It looked lovely. In that moment I wished I could pilot that Jaeger, but something told me that wasn't for me, so I ignored it and continued my work.

We also had time to design the pilots suit. I decided to make them white, black and grey. The other Jaegers' pilot had black or dark suits, but I wanted mine to be white, with the logo of Pan Pacific on the left shoulder and the logo of the Jaeger on the right one. It resembled a bit to Tacit Ronin, the Tarnian mecha, another of my favourite ones, but it also had my own style.

We continued working until the nucleus was finished. Then, the critic optics of Ratchet helped me correcting the few mistakes it had. We finished the blueprint. Everything was ready to send to construction. Just there were three things left.

First one was the paint job. I decided I wanted it to be pale blue with grey shades, white and red lines. Each colour represented something for me. The main colour was for two things, one to remember my home city, Crystal City, which I included lately in one of its decals, and the second one as a respect to Romeo Blue, my first favourite Jaeger. The red lines were to honour my family, and the best way was using the Sky red, main colour of my family. And the white was for Pan Pacific, and every Cybertronian in there, no matter where they came from. Finally I added few more decals, like the famous white 34, for The Genius.

The second one was the logo. Prowl showed me the original ones of Romeo Blue and Tacit Ronin. They were pretty, but not the kind of logos I was looking for. I did have another idea for it. I sketched a pair of blue wings with a kind of pentagon between them, and in the middle of it, a red star. Under it, in double line, I would write the name of the robot in red, with my very hand writing.

The third one was the gender, this one was because we wanted and as a distraction of some sort as we worked in something else. That was a real challenge. We were five in the group, but no one agreed with anyone. Pharma wanted it to me a femme. Ratchet said that it looked more like mech. Shockwave said it was illogical to lose time on it. Prowl proposed I should be the one to give a gender. And I did not have a clear idea of what would be. At the end, we ended up referring to it as her. Still no idea why, but Pharma seemed happy about it.

If deciding the gender had been difficult, deciding the name was even worse. It took us two weeks, while we worked on minor details. Shockwave said we should name her like Logic Weapon. We decided to ignore his suggestions, as we all made the mental note that the purple mech wasn't good at giving names. Ratchet suggested to call her Omega Supreme, but I didn't like the idea. Pharma gave quite a lot of designations, such as Terorcon Terror or Beast Endangerer among others, but none of them suited her. Prowl, also decided to help. He suggested something that didn't sound so bad, Gipsy Striker, but still lacked something. And, as always, they looked at me, waiting for my contribution. I just shrugged. And two weeks later I still reminded silence.

"Oh, come on, I think Terrorcon Terror is perfect." Pharma tried it again.

"No, it would be better to give something less... Ridiculous." Ratchet argued back. "We need something better."

"We should not lose time in that." The purple mech stated. "It does not have logic. We should gave it a series number."

"And how are we gonna pronounce that, eh? Mark-III/47895638946?" Pharma replied. "The names shows personality and personalises the Jaeger." Shockwave shook the head at that affirmation. "Plus, it's easier to communicate during battles."

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Prowl cut the scientist argument. "Knockout is the designer of the Jaeger. He was given the project, so I think he should give the name." They all looked at me.

"Ok, any idea, Knockout?" Ratchet asked.

"Not yet." I said thoughtfully. I couldn't come up with nothing, so I decided we should keep going. "Ok, since the project is already finished, I suggest we present it to Alpha, and then, we will decide the name."

"Finally someone sensible in here!" We all looked at Shockwave shocked, who for the first time had said what he thought. "Never mind."

We exited and walked through the corridors, as I carried the big blueprint under my arm. I was still thinking about the names, something in mind. There were two of them that attracted my attention, Beast Endangerer and Gipsy Striker. I started giving a second thought to those designations.

"Beast... Engangerer... Gipsy... Striker..." I murmured for myself. "Endangerer... Gipsy... Beast... Stricker... It doesn't work here." I didn't like the word 'Beast', so I dismissed it. "Striker... Gipsy... Endangerer... No, not any better. Striker sounds to heavy." I wanted it to be easy to pronounce, even for a sparkling. "Gipsy... Endangerer... Gipsy... Endangerer..." I liked the order, but the second word was too long. "Endangerer... Endanger... Humm... Danger?" It could make it. "Gipsy... Danger..." I silenced for a moment, as I repeated those two words together. I loved it. "Gipsy Danger."

I was so immersed on my thought that I walked past the command station, and almost missed its door. I just shook my helm and focused on the situation. We entered the command station, and everyone turned to face us. "Alpha Trion, the blueprints are finished." I stated.

"Let's have a look." The eldest mech suggested, as we occupied the central table. The white mech gave a good look at every piece and note. "Awesome work, Knockout. I see you took your time to make a good job. Well done." He said after a meticulous inspection to my design.

"Thank you, Sir, but I couldn't have made it without The Genius." I replied sincerely, moving aside to let them be recognised.

Alpha nodded, smile on his faceplates. "Good to see you followed my advice." He diverted his gaze just to give another scan to the blueprints. "I see you have designed also the logo, but I cannot see any designation. You could not come up with any, right?" He grinned. He knew me far too well, but this time it would be different.

"Well... not really. I do have it." I answered back. The Genius looked at me anxious. "I assure you will love it."

"When did you come up with a name?" Pharma asked. "You kept it for yourself!" He half scolded me.

"To be honest, it was while we were walking here." I explained. "That's... Why I almost walked by."

"And you missed the door." Ratchet added. There were some snickers.

"Really funny Ratchet." I replied sarcastically. "Thank you."

"Ok, Kiddo, all the command station is waiting." Prowl hurried me.

"All Pan Pacific." The CCO corrected. He had switched on the speakers for all the base, so that everyone could hear me. There was an immense silence, as Soundwave handled me a microphone.

"The very first Mark III blue prints have being successfully finished... And it will be known as..." I vented deeply, savouring the moment before stating it. Each time I said it for me, better it sounded. "... Gipsy Danger." I stated. The Genius discussed it in whispers, and a minute later they gave me thumbs up, as cheers could be heard in the Loccent. I vented relieved, after all, it was my only option right then, and Terrorcon Terror wasn't a jack of all trades. I took out a pair of markers, one white and another one red. I wrote down the name just at the head of the blueprint, using capital and straight letters, and then, I wrote the name under the logo, finally completing it with the red one.

Alpha grinned. "Soundwave, make sure Construction is ready to receive the blueprints of Gipsy Danger."

I could hear some cheers and laud cries outside. And I also laughed joyfully. Prowl gave me a good handshake and he suggested going to have some fun after all the work we did. I was looking forward to it. But what's more, I was looking forwards to see my creation done.


	13. Training Hard

_Updated - 27___~10~2019__

* * *

_**Training Hard**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 12th Tygerian 3224, Iacon**_

I gave the following months out of The Genius Zone, having a good look at the construction of Gipsy. Many said I was obsessed, and perhaps they were right, but I needed to make sure everything was in its place. At the really beginning, I denied it stubbornly, now instead I recognise it. It took me ages to admit it, but I was really in love with her. She was getting perfect. Her frame also looked awesome. Whenever her build up process was finish, I would have a close look to every little detail to make sure she was done without any mistake. Until then, all I could do was wait. Yet, there was something that still made me tickle. I'd wondered it for quite a lot time, as the same question bothered me once and again. Who were gonna be the pilots?

A months ago it was announced all over Cybertron there would be a test to choose the new pilots. Immediately, Cybertronians around started to come to Pan Pacific, where they got used to the surroundings, the tatamies and the installations in general. We were lucky we had enough supplies laying around, because we were starting to feel overcrowded. As soon as the candidates list were opened, every mech and femme ready to fight for it singed in. From time to time, I got close to the panel showing the candidates, where I looked at the profiles. Many where from Kaon, the city of battles and cold helms. There were several Tarnians too. It would be difficult to reduce such list with such candidates. All seemed to be top fighters. I could already see myself designing a bunch of new Mark III just to supply the arising excess of pilots.

Every time I was there, before leaving, I just let my mind having the illusion of seen my profile in the computer too, but then dismissed it. I wasn't gonna be a pilot, not now, and possibly never.

I still had no idea who could really be. I even discussed it with my fellows, but none seemed to have a clue. I even dared to drive Alpha Trion up the wall, what of course led him to fire me out of the Loccent... And even his room till new order. Yep, I could get reeeeaaaallly annoying, a pain in the aft some times, but hey, how many Jaegers did a Cybertronian build in a lifetime?

I finally gave up and waited, just like the rest of Pan Pacific. Even though that, I started to have an idea of who might be a pilot, as his actions seemed to spoke for himself. And that mech happened to be Prowl, who had assured me he had no idea what I was talking about, what a surprise. He claimed several times he didn't know it and yet he had offered me to train longer along side him, quite contradicting giving the fact he wasn't a candidate. Each day he increased the effort and doubled the exercises, in what I considered a try to get fitter. We were used to do quite a lot of things during training sessions, but it was getting even exaggerated. Once or twice, we ended up taking simulations three times per day, and six more hours of hand to hand combat after it.

He didn't say a word. Never did, but I caught his intentions. I was sure Prowl was determinate to pilot a Jaeger again and that would happen to be Gipsy Danger, my Jaeger. I felt happy for him, after all, he was gonna step into a mecha once more and save the world as he used to do. He was experienced and that gave him points before other candidates. Besides, he deserved it, and I could only feel glad because he was gonna fulfil his dream again.

I never made a comment about it, I just kept helping him as long as he needed me. Every time I saw him standing right in front of me only thing I could do was admire him. I'm not gonna lie. Whenever he offered me to train with I hurried to leave whatever I was doing go get some action.

Today it was one of those days. We had had a really long session, and I was almost exhausted, but I couldn't reject a good joy drive. Prowl was panting but a grin crossed his face plates, he had rested his servo on my shoulder and patted me lovingly. We walked slowly til the entrance of the base, and then he teased me by transforming and speeding away. I didn't wait, I transformed too and chased fast after him.

I followed him as he guided me to the beach where the Rust sea made contact with Iacon. It was getting dark, but darkness was something I wasn't afraid of, and as I could spot Prowl's biolights, I didn't have any problems to know where he was. After some turns, tricks and races alongside the wavy oil next to us, we finally transformed and sat down the warm ground, heated by our natural star as its final rays bathed the city behind us. The immense sea lapped the shore with soft waves as these reached our pedes while we admired it in a comfortable silence. I could see Prowl had taken his polarised orange visor of and closed his optics, venting the fresh fragrance enveloping us and taking a good advantage of this rare calm moment. I couldn't do anything but grin, and why not, mimicked him. The soft words of my companion got me out of my spellbound.

"Hey, Knockout, how do you feel?" He just asked, not looking at me. I was caught out of words as I hadn't expected the question.

"Hum..." I diverted my gaze, trying to figure out what to say. "To be honest, I have no idea what do I feel right now." I laughed. "I'm feeling a calm I hadn't experienced in quite a long time." I vented before continuing. "And it feels good. What's more, sitting just right here I have forgotten all my worries back at the base." Another pause. "To be honest, I've been quite stressed this last months, but I think Cybertronians around me have been even worse than myself. I've been behaving quite like a sparkling, driving everyone on their nerves, so the question isn't really how do I feel but how do _you_ feel?"

He laughed hard and he rested a servo on his lap. "With '_Cybertronians around you_' you aren't referring to Alpha Trion, are you? Because you really managed to get him!" He snickered again as I got completely blue in embarrassment. "Or did you mean The Genius? None of us did know you were such... persistent. Anyway, I know you hadn't done it on purpose, did you?" I shook my helm immediately as he just nodded, smiling. "And the training? Do you think I'm pushing you over the limit?"

"No, of course not!" I replied without thinking it twice. "It's a chance I wouldn't have had if it hadn't been for you, and all I feel is gratitude... As well as some stiffs in my legs during first sessions, but hey, thanks to you the mech in my mirror got even handsomer." He just covered his faceplates with his servos as I laughed at his reaction. Then he diverted his gaze and I did the same, until something came to my mind. "Prowl, may I ask you something?"

"Come again." He encouraged me.

"Do you want to pilot Gipsy Danger?" I finally dared to ask. "I mean, do you want to be a pilot once again?"

The cop took his time to answer. "I don't think I'm the rightest mech." He simply answered.

"What? Why not? I mean, you have piloted Romeo Blue, you're a hero, a legend! How is it that you say you're not the rightest mech! You have experience, you have knowledge, you have fitness, and you have been training for it!" I came back, not believing his words for a sec. "If not, why training so hard? It was no sense." I wondered, not fully understanding.

"You're still young, Knockout, you may not understand it yet, but there's still a chance left." He answered softly, resting his left on my right shoulder plates. He silenced for a while. "I do have the feeling I'm forcing you to exercise too much with me. Are you annoyed because of it?" He changed subject.

"No, of course not!" I said confident. "In fact, I'm enjoying it every second. You gave me a runaway from my daily duties pressure, a way to distress and a way to keep healthy. What else could I ask? I don't care how much it takes us the session or how long it will last our trainings, I just hope we never ever stop doing it together." I did like to be by his side. He always told me good stories and gave me good advices. He was like a father to me, the kind of father I never had. Serious when needed, but caring when low. I wouldn't never change him absolutely nothing nor anybody else.

"As long as you wish so, I'll be by your side, Kiddo." He said winking at me in confidence.

There was another pause, and then I spoke to him again. "You know, Prowl? I've been thinking it for a while and now I have it clear in my mind. You're a good fighter, a good candidate. And if I had the chance to choose, I would choose you as one of Gipsy's pilots, without doubts." I spoke right away. "You should present to the test."

"There will be plenty of younger mechs, I'm fit, it's true, but I don't have the reflexes I had then. It won't be easy. Besides, it's pretty early in the morning. I don't think I would like to wake up so early just to be defeated by a youngster." He said as an excuse.

I diverted my gaze, trying to look for a reply. I got it. "Present yourself. Present yourself and I'll go with. I'll be by your side..."

"You know they won't allow you, right? Candidates must be separated from non candidates." He cut me off.

I stood up, forcing my mind to find a solution. Then something unusual, even impossible, crossed my processor. I turned to look at him, locking gaze with him. "If you present yourself, I'll present to the test too." I waited for his reaction.

He just gave a quick thought to it. "It could work." He nodded. "It would make thing easier." He murmured. I didn't know what he meant, but I waited. "Knockout, you're a genius!" He laughed. "There's a chance we can fight for the vacancies. I don't think they will put any hindrance to it since you're the designer, it's a great point on your favour. I'll discuss it with Alpha, and lets see what he says."

"Awesome!" I jumped and shouted in joy as ran around. As said, like a sparkling.

"As soon as I'm done with Alpha, I'll go sing us both." Prowl offered, standing up. "Don't forget to take your identification the test day, if not they'll maybe not let you in." I nodded, taking a good mental note.

We drove slowly the way back to the base. Once there, we greeted each other while I got to my room and he went to talk to Alpha, as promised. I had a good long shower and then I took my time to buff myself with the perfumed wax. It was a decade I didn't dedicate so much time to myself, after all, these last months I had been in a rush. While buffing, I thought about the other candidates. It wouldn't be easy, but we had been training for years. There was no way we were gonna lose. I just hoped everything would go well.

Until everything was settle, I decided not to say a word to The Genius. I wanted to make sure I was well signed, just in case.

* * *

Prowl made as promised. He talked with Alpha to inform him, and after getting everything he needed to write the Kiddo's name down, he got to the keyboard next to the huge candidate panels. He introduced the data in corresponding box and then he made sure it was correct before pressing the light blue button. Immediately, the profile was shown, where the image and attitudes where displayed.

He turned around to look at his white friend. "It's done. There's no way back now." The cop replied. Alpha nodded. "Let's get to my room." He offered, as they walked.

Once in Prowl's quarters, Alpha was having a cube of energon with his former copilot. "So tell me, my friend, does he suspect something?"

"No. He has no clue! In fact, he is more than sure we're both taking the test together." He said amused. The cop took a sip. "He will have the surprise of his lifetime." The white and black mech grinned before taking another long sip. "You only need to look at his optics. Knockout was constantly watching his Jaeger and wondering if the new pilots would be appropriated for Gipsy Danger. And now he has the illusion and the chance to do so." Prowl told him. "It reminds me of myself when I was younger. Always looking for a new step to take and wonder what destiny would bring to me... He must take the test, it's his only chance."

"Then, make sure he is there in time. He will know what to do then." Alpha replied. "I don't have any doubt that he will success." They both laughed as they toasted their cubes up. "He's gonna enjoy this."

* * *

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 12th Gygaxian 3224, Iacon**_

I walked my way to the canteen. Everyone was chatting vividly. I did appreciate there was more people than what I remember. Our number had increased since last month. There were really bulky mechs, strong and with fierce looks. Many boasted about how good they were, but yet, they didn't impressed me. The Steams, specially Skywarp, just made them shut by showing all their victories off. I didn't pay attentions as sneaked to my table, where I could meet my fellow colleagues. We were really pressed on our table since we had to make space for new comers, but it didn't bother us at all.

A big blue laughing mech some tables away got my attention. He was the only one who wasn't tense at all. I didn't know whether he was just a wholesome mech or drunken, but he seemed to be a good guy. I just ignored him as Pharma talked to me. "Hey, Knockout, are you ready to take the test?" Pharma asked me. Few weeks ago, Ratchet had discovered I was in the lists, and after I explained it to them, they cheered me up to go ahead. And that was what I was gonna do.

"Sure I'm ready. Because this opportunity is standing right in front of me and I'm not letting it go." I replied. "Yet, I'm so nervous to meet my beauty's copilot." I grinned.

"Dude, you're so in love with Gipsy! Why don't you bond with her!" Someone behind me spoke. It was the youngest Steam who had come closer. "Yet, She's pretty."

"Of course she is. She's perfect." I replied. "Just because I made her like that." I added kidding while putting a servo on my chest. We all laughed.

Alpha stood up, and everyone looked at him as a silence settled. "Pan Pacific, today is an important day. We're testing our future Gipsy Danger's pilots, at three o'clock in the morning. All of you must be thirty minutes earlier with your documentation to make sure you are present. If you miss the test, you will not be allowed to take it." He silenced for a while, and then continued. "The first part will be a hand to hand combat in the different tatamis." That was thought to take those who had no good reflexes out. "Then, the simulation." Quite a lot of people had been training during this few weeks, and some were really good, specially Kaonians, but nothing I couldn't deal with. "And finally, the neural handshake, the hardest event of the three." He let the words sank. "It may seem easy but it's not. You will have to show your best and give your 100 percent." The silenced again.

"Now, I would suggest you to take some rest, this test may take six hours over all. To end up I will just say, for those who are taking the test, good luck." Then he sat down.

Once the dinner was over, almost everyone got out of the canteen, and so did I. I greeted my colleagues and I walked back to my room. I needed to get some rest if I wanted to succeed tomorrow


	14. Masks

_Updated - 11___~01~2020__

* * *

_**Masks**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 13th Gygaxian 3224, Iacon, 2:00 am**_

That night, if it could be called that way, I couldn't recharge. I was so nervous my systems refused to shut down. I was just open optics, looking at the ceiling, going over every kind of combat tactics and moves I knew. I was so immersed into my thoughts that I lost notion of time. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, somewhere around 02:00 AM, and I must say it almost made me jump out of the berth in shock. I stood up and hurried to open it just to find Prowl standing right on my door frame. I didn't wait for him to say a word. I immediately took my identification, meticulously organised on my desk the day before, and we headed the training room.

We walked in silence at first, as I was deep in my thoughts again, then I looked at my partner, and I saw the cop was really calm, after all, he was experienced, nothing to worry about. I, instead, felt a sting of worry deep in my spark as my helm found out difficult to concentrate on what was about to come.

"So, you ready for the test?" I tried to bring something to talk about.

"Yeah." He shrugged his shoulders grinning. He was so relaxed I even envied him. "What about you, you ready?"

"Yes, sure." I could feel my servos cold, my spark beating hard and my mind rushing. "Ok, just remember to concentrate on the fight, and not letting them to distract you. You have done it before, you can do it again." I tried to cheer him up, but it ended up being more for myself rather than for him.

He chuckled, hugging me close with one arm, as he caressed my nape like a father would do. "Knockout, look at me." Prowl made me stop. "Close your optics."

"We don't have time, we need to be there in..." I tried only to be cut.

"They can wait few clicks." He just said, firmly. "Close your optics and vent in." He instructed. I did as told, trying to calm my systems down. "Vent out... Repeat it again." I started to feel my systems cooler, and my helm colder. I finally opened my optics. "Feeling any better?" I nodded. "Well then, let's go already! You have to beat them all!"

We stood before the training room's doors, and never saw them as big as that day. I took a moment before we went in. I could see there were thousands of Cybertronian in there. Some of them even came from other shatterdomes. Most of theme were really bulky and toned up. On the contrary, Prowl and I were slim and fast, in my case, though I hate to admit it, also short in stature. But from my point of view, bigger Cybertronians were easy to defeat. I was more aware of the smaller ones. I worried about Prowl, who seemed to be far more enjoying himself, unaware of the potential rivals around us. We walked to the front of the mass, where a really tall blue mech with huge shoulders pads and a serious aura was standing. I somehow knew him, he appeared in tv from time to time, but I still didn't know why he was here.

"Who's he?" I asked intrigued.

"He is Ultra Magnus, the Iaconian representer in the R.R.D.C., and the mech who will lead the test alongside Alpha Trion." I nodded, and I decided he looked too serious. I didn't like him. "Ok, Knockout, remind here, I'm gonna talk to them. Let's see what's up lately."

"Can you do that?" I asked astonished, whisper shouting. "You're a candidate, the rest will think you're cheating!"

"Don't worry, Knockout. I'll be fine." He said calmly. "I'll be back in a moment."

I nodded, confused, but I decided I had to dismiss it in order to get focused. I gave a look around, as I wandered through the room, locating potential adversaries that could oppose me. I was being studied too, so I decided to pretend I was weak by folding my shoulder guards flat, looking like I was intimidated. Some Cybertronians chattered, others boasted, while made some fighting moves. I found few reminding silent, apparently shyly.

Nothing was what it looked like, and I knew it. We all had masks, not physical but we had them, pretending to be someone we were not, and only in certain situations like the one in front of us made us reveal our true us. I knew those who claimed to be great warriors wouldn't make it, or at least would have less chances.

Something came to my mind as I thought that. My father once told me something I kept within me for long. "_Watch out for the quiet ones._" He had said. "_You don't know who you're facing 'til is too late. Have silent allies, but never thrust them. Remember that Knockout._" Of course he was referring to the Seekers, but yet, the quiet ones were the ones I was aware of now.

I finally turned around and headed the starting point, where I hopped I would find Prowl, but something got me into my way. The big blue mech I spotted yesterday night was there, talking to a rival, wide grin on faceplates. He transmitted me a really calm sensation as we suddenly locked gaze. We stared for few moments, then he just smiled at me and then turned to attend what his talker once again. I dismissed it as I hurried to meet my mentor.

"So, what did you see?" The cop inquired.

"A pair of Tarnian femmes and a Vosian mech may turn out to be formidable. There's also a blue mech that got my attention, but nothing out of place." I resumed shortly. "Anything to know before we commence?"

"Well, few things." He said. "They are looking for sagacious type, but also brute and bulky enough to resit long fighting exposure. I know you are Crystaline, but I strongly suggest you to take that Kaonian part of you out if you wanna have a chance." I nodded thoughtfully. "Of course, they will try looking for someone from inside, someone they know, someone they can trust into. You got a point there, don't miss it, but don't be reckless, pedes on the ground and mind on the combat. Besides, there have being tension between southwest cities lately, something to do with energon resources, what means they will, at all costs, avoid putting Tigerians with Polyhexians in same Jaeger." He paused to look around lightly, getting me closer. "Moreover, Althian candidates have had a more extensive training than us, and Kalisians are getting strong in other Shaterdomes. Watch out, most of them won't play fair, specially..."

"... Kaonians." I completed.

"Precisely. Don't go with it, just as I taught you. Got it?"

I looked into his optics, focused. "Yes. I'm ready."

"Good then, rise and shine, Kiddo. Rise and shine." He grinned proudly, winking at me. "Good luck, though you won't need it." Prowl just added.

Soon, we heard the one known as Ultra Magnus clearing his voice. "Please, I would like you to listen carefully. Those who are not taking the test, go to the grandstands." A lot of people moved aside, Prowl among them.

I was stroke hard by uncertainty as doubts started to rise inside me. What was I gonna do without him? I shook my helm, clearing my thoughts away. I needed to be concentrated. I managed to look around lightly. We were at least about a hundred Cybertronians waiting. I gazed at my left side and I saw him, again. That tall and really toned up mech, painted in pale blue. It had orange faceplates and comforting yellow optics. The mech I saw yesterday laughing and the one that had grinned at me... So, he was a participant, huh? Interesting...

Ultra Magnus then went on. "Doors are closed till the end of the test, no one can come in now. You're allowed to leave whenever you wish, but not to return in, is it clear?" We all answered a 'yes, sir'. "Good. We will proceed to make sure you're in here. As soon as you're named, you'll start battling in your respective tatami."

We were called out as participants moved away to their positions. There were about eight tatamies ready for us to battle. I was deep into my thoughts, analysing the situation I didn't even noticed the blue mech had already started fighting. I could see that even if he seemed to be too big, he moved quite well. Impressive, I had to admit it.

Suddenly I was taken out of my thoughts as I was called by Alpha. I stepped forwards. "Identification, please." I gave it to him. He gave a quick look and then talked silently. "Tatami three. I'm sure you will make it, just remember who you are, Knockout. Good luck." I nodded, nerves killing me.

I was lead to it by Steve, who cheered me up too. I had never seen him working, but I was told he was a really efficient worker of the pilot preparation room, from hangar 2. Once I was placed, I closed my optics for a while, trying to take the warrior out off me. I could hear there was someone in front of me, but I wasn't paying him much attention. I finally opened my optics, and I found a huge green and black mech standing in front of me. He seemed to be Vosian. I vented deep, and closed my optics once again. It was now or never. I could make it. I knew how to fight, thanks to my father's lessons, and I was determined to do it well.

A femme approached and gave us instructions, while I kept my optics shut. "... You're not allowed to cheat, if not, you will be disqualified. You're not allowed to attack your opponent with other than your own frame. No weapons allowed. You will win the point if you throw the opponent out of the ring or if you blocked them on the ground. You will fight up to three points. Is it clear?"

"Yes." We both answered. My initial nerves were suddenly gone. I looked up to lock gaze with him and greeted each other.

"Get ready to be scraped." He spatted mockingly. I didn't reply. Instead, I positioned myself in a defensive position, arms folded up. "A shorty like you should have stayed aside." The signal was given.

At that, he attacked. I just move out of the way, putting my pedde between his legs and making him straggle and fell out of the ring. He growled, standing up straight and getting in again. He charged again, this time aiming his right to my jaw line. I dodged and pushed his arm away, following his motion, in order to destabilise him. But he had something stored as he pivoted over his left, launching his right pede towards me. I bent low backwards, almost losing balance. I had to react fast as he almost knocked me down. I rolled out of the way, standing up immediately. I managed to gain some clicks as we studied each other briefly. This time I didn't wait. I attacked. I ran towards him, and when I was about to punch him, I lowered down on my knees and skidded until I was under him. I elbowed him hard on his knee, making the Vosian struggle enough for me to jump over him, grabbing his right behind his back, and using my natural weight to pin him down.

I let him go as I was given the point. One more and it would be over. I turned to face again my adversary. My face expressionless, crimson optics locked onto him, ready to attack. He charged once more shouting loud, I didn't made any sound as I moved swiftly. I took advantage he had bent lower to gain momentum and I connected my pede with his chest, sending him out of the tatami.

"The fight is over." The femme resumed, "Knockout, you shall go on." She instructed me. We only lasted few breems, though it seemed an eternity. Anyway, I greeted the other mech in respect by bowing and I moved on.

I was lead into the following one. I tried to locate Alpha Trion. He was alongside Magnus on a big table, making notes from the first result. I caught them looking at me and then to their data pad. For my surprise, I also saw that big blue was still standing up. Then I saw The Genius were in there. Ratchet was attending some injured, but still next to the rest of the group. I could also see there was a huge placard with my name on the left, just below Gipsy Danger's logo, and in the right, I saw my Jaeger, and in front of her, there was myself wearing the white suit. They were cheering me up, even Shockwave... In his logical way, of course. I would have laughed at the whole thing, but I didn't let myself being distracted. I just greeted them discretely, and as I did so, they all got up shouting loud in emotion. I failed to notice there was an azure femme looking at me constantly, observing from a corner.

I faced another opponent, Iaconian, for my surprise. I had seen him around the base, and I even had chatted with him, but it wasn't time to think of that. He was determined and so was I. He had won his first round, but I couldn't let him go on the second one, no this was mine. I got ready, and so did he.

We clashed, provoking sparks out of us. I must say I suffered from my paint loss, but that gave me strengths to keep fighting, after all, all knew scratching a Crystalline's paint job was the worst possible idea. I dodged fast returned the blows, only to find this time I was being blocked at every movement. I got frustrated as I found myself pinned against the ground, and yet didn't know how it happened. I stood up. I couldn't allow him to win, no way. I vent deeply as I was giving my back to him as he rushed towards me. I didn't turn around. I waited, optics closed.

I waited just until I felt his fist was about to strike me hard. I just rose my leg up forcefully just to connect with his chest and send him away from me. I just hurried towards him to pin him down the ground. He tried to push me off, unsuccessfully. We stood up again. We got ready once more. The mech in front of me looked intimidated as his face expression changed suddenly. I charged and he backed up, until he was out of the tatami.

"I yield." He said, raising his arms up. I was surprised at his reaction but I just greeted him respectfully and I was led to my next challenge, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Each time I faced a new opponent, the level increased. They were strong, fit. I was receiving more hits that what I expected, but I refused to give up. I almost lost twice, and I couldn't risk to struggle again. Not now. I was getting close and I wasn't giving up, not without trying it. I was used to fight for long periods, but I was getting exhausted, and we were not allowed to refuel. I cursed for myself as I walked towards my last rival. One last fight and it would be over. I rolled my shoulders as I felt one was getting sore. I tried some fighting moves as I walked behind the vehicon leading, trying to loosen my muscles too.

I got into the tatami, I vented and examined the mech in front of me. I looked as exhausted like him, but we were up to the fight. I would have gladly taken off some armour as I started to feel it heavy in me, not good. I took my time to go over him. He wasn't much taller then me, slim, but well built. Young too, around my age maybe? I didn't care right then. Similar opponents, with similar abilities. That would be it. The best one would win.

We got ready, and I tried to spot a weak point. For my disappointment, he seemed to have none, and I was getting slow and tired, as my blows became predictable. I was knocked down to the ground twice, where I stayed, trying to rest my pained frame. Ache felt almost agonising, and the idea of giving up crossed my mind. I was distant to the situation, far away into the void, almost caressing the oblivion.

The Genius were holding their vents, I could see their shocked gazes towards me. And when I was about yield too, I remembered a lesson I learned when I was younger. My sire came to my mind again, this time he just had came closer and whispered. "_Seeker does never give up, Knockout. If it worths fighting for, being good at it is not enough, you must be the best._" His words echoing in my helm. "_Of course, I cannot ask much from a mech like you._"

"_Like me?_" I had replied back then. "_What you mean?_"

"_You're weak._" I could remember his expression as he looked down at me, remarking his last word.

"_I am not._" I had hissed lowly.

"_Then stand up, and fight!_"

I finally pushed myself up, full of rage, determined to finish what I started. No one said it was easy, but it had to be done. I faced my adversary once again, optics burning bright. Everyone was looking at us, as silence had settled in the room. We were last combatants left, but I didn't mind. I had gathered strengths out of nowhere, and I was ready to go on. There was just one slight difference, I had dropped my mask, unleashing my darkest me.

I locked optics with the mech in front of me, and I hissed, letting my fangs well on view. He didn't let himself being intimidated, so he got ready as I attacked. I moved faster than before. He had a hard time blocking me as I went on. He replied back a in few occasions, but I dodged fast. He managed to push me as I was send forcefully backwards, and I had to stuck my right claws on the ground to stop the skid. I just rose my gaze up and rushed towards him, blowing a kick, connecting with his helm. The mech collapsed down. I just stood there, in guard, but it wasn't until Ratchet made it to us that I realised what had happened. I shook my helm, getting back into reality. I approached lightly to the medic as I was concerned. The mech hadn't move yet.

"Ratchet, did I..." I didn't dare to complete the sentence as angst overtook me.

"Stay away, Knockout." He ordered me, serious tone in his voice. Pharma was there too, assisting the injured one, trying to help even if he wasn't a doctor himself.

I just let myself fall on my knees. I was trembling and I didn't know what could I do. Prowl made it through the multitude gathered around us, towards me, where he just hugged me from behind. I dared to look at him, venting hard. "I've offlined him." I muttered quietly. "I've offlined him." I repeated looking down to my servos, shocked.

"Shh, easy, Knockout. You were too caught up to analyse the situation." He tried to calm me down, but I couldn't stop thinking of what just had happened. "Besides, is still early to know his status. He might be just unconscious." He tried to made me think other, but I couldn't.

Ratchet check the vitals of the fallen as he ran an scan over him, and then, after a while he talked out loud. "He's fine, he just had a power down." He announced as the mech on the ground came back online. "I will get him to the Med Bay. Soundwave, please, open a ground bridge." The green vortex opened immediately.

"Will he recover?" I dared to ask.

"Of course I will recover, you lugnut!" The other mech just replied back, annoyed, as he sat up. "Next time measure you strength, scraphead!" He spatted at me.

"I'll check him up." Ratchet informed. "Just in case, I wanna make sure he doesn't have internal damage." He added, this time more calmed. The medic tried to help the patient up, but this refused by standing on his own. Pharma grabbed him and even if he complained, he was lead to the Med Bay, followed by the medic. The ground bridge just closed after Ratchet.

Ultra Magnus called our attention, so I got up, helped by Prowl. "Despite our little incident here, the test must go on because the Terrorcons won't wait." He started. "We had made our selection. Those who have passed the first event, follow Alpha Trion to the simulation room. You'll be taking the next part in there."

We were called one by one, and as he did so, all the candidates crossed their digits. I was so concerned about what had happened clicks ago I didn't really payed attention to the given names. Prowl shook me lightly, as he got me out of my thoughts. "You have to go now." He whispered. "You have passed."

I just raised my gaze lightly until I understood what he meant. I dragged my pedes, tired, as I positioned myself next to the other candidate. We soon exited the room, towards the simulation room. I took advantage of the moment to approach Alpha, letting the others lightly behind.

"With all my respect, Alpha." I paused, trying to figure out how to say what I had to. He turned his helm to look at me, soft glare on. "I think I should..." I vented deep and let it out, stating it firmly. "I quit."


	15. Pilot and Copilot

_Updated - 12___~01~2020__

* * *

_**Pilot and Copilot**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 13th Gygaxian 3224, Iacon, 3:30 am**_

Alpha didn't reply immediately, instead, he just looked away, as he stayed in silence. I was awaiting, but he didn't seem to have any intention to retort something back. I was about to repeat it when he just talked.

"You drove me up the wall." He stated, serene. I opened my mouth to respond, but I shut it up as I knew he was right, diverting my gaze. "You wondered for long who should the pilots be, daydreaming of yourself becoming one, and now you've got the chance, you quit." He looked at me. "Why, Knockout, why?"

"I almost offlined a mech today." I said bitterly. "What kind of mech makes me that?"

"It could have happened to anyone." He replied, calmly. "A participant from the tatami eight got hurt too. And the mech who inflicted that is right behind us, proud of his acts."

I looked over my shoulder lightly, trying to figure out who that might be. "Sorry, but I'm not like him. I'm not proud of what I did. I should have stayed in the lab."

"Maybe, but then you would have being pining over it once and again." He just resumed. "You have a good chance right before you. Are you letting it go?" He taunted. I gave a thought about it. I really wished I could take the chance, but I wasn't sure I would be the best candidate right then. Like a read thought, Alpha replied again. "Give a try. There are still two more tests. If you pass them, we will talk, if not, you will have your answer."

I just nodded, getting back with the other candidates. I straighten up lightly, trying to push up my spirit. I sighted and kept going on. A huge servo laid on my shoulder, what almost made me jump. I turned to look the mech by my side just to discover it was the big blue one. "Hey, you right?" He asked concerned, sincere glare on. "You looked quite disturbed."

"Fine." I just said silently.

There was a silence. "Good moves you have." He admitted. "You are nimble in combat."

"So could I say from you." I just replied, not really wanting to talk.

"Nah, it just became I have height and some muscles. Nothing else." He laughed. "I would offer you some energon goodies, but and I have none right now, plus it seems it goes against the rules... Sorry." I shrugged.

"It's ok. Thank you."

"Hum, not the talkative type, huh?" He grinned. I turned to look at him, an opticbrow up. "Don't worry, all you need to do is relax and rest a bit, and you will be as good as new!" He grinned. I just frowned, he was getting a bit tiresome. If I had being in good mood I would have loved to chatter with him, but right then, I just felt like locking into my room and hid under my sheets. "Where are you from?" He asked curious.

"Long story short. I'm from Crystal City, but I've been in Pan Pacific for almost eight years now." I stated, bored.

"Oh, Crystal City, I thought you were from Kaon! You know, red optics, sharp claws..." He pointed out. "Besides, I've never been there, I mean your home city. Is it beautiful? Is it true everything is made of glass?" His optics shown in excitement.

"Gorgeous it would be the word, and it's not made of glass, its made of crystal, a much more resistant material. There's a difference, but only we Crystalines distinguish it." I instructed him, half annoyed. "And yes, I'm half Kaonian."

"Awesome." The mech gave a thought about it for a moment and then he just looked at me curiously, talking back again. "Hey, don't take it bad, but aren't you a bit short for this?" He asked innocently while measuring me with his servo. I almost reached his torso as I straightened up. "I mean, it's impressive the fact you faced mechs much bigger than you and you won them, but..." He silenced, not really knowing how to put it, trying not to offend me. "You don't really look like much of a thing." The mech half closed an optic, rising his other opticbrow as he bend lightly. Ok, still what?

"Believe me, if I were you, I would be concerned about the little ones." I answered back, ironic tone in my voice. I was pissed, but yet I kept that for myself.

We got to the simulation room, but before we entered in, we were stopped in the corridor. "Since there are only five simulators, we will take two batches. You'll go in pairs, selected randomly, but you won't know who your partner will be." Alpha informed us. "Once in, you will be given instructions to complete your mission, though you might already know how it works. Any question?" We reminded silent. "Well, then, we will start calling you out. If you're not named, you will remind here."

Candidates went in, and soon I discovered I would go in the second turn. Alpha entered in, and he left us alone with another supervisor, to make sure we didn't take any substances nor change with anyone else, or so. If this was a full simulation, it would take hours, so I sat down against the wall, big blue also sat down, at the other side of the corridor, in front of me. I just stood there in silence, arms folded over my chest, legs lightly bent towards me, helm lightly dropped and optics half closed.

Other candidates also took a sit, and soon we were all over the floor. None said a word, we only stayed there in silence, each one thinking in our things, mostly the next test. My processor slowed down, refusing to process any more information at all, so I just made myself comfortable and I closed my optics, falling into a pleasant recharge after all the accumulated tension... And sore frame.

* * *

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 13th Gygaxian 3224, Iacon, 5:30 am**_

When I finally came online I didn't even know where was I. It took me a whole klick to star up my systems, only to discover I had been recharging over Prowl's shoulder guard. I stretched out, relocating my plates from the bad posture I had had while resting. I looked at him still confused as he grinned back.

"Wakey-Wakey." He just replied, laughing. "I didn't know if you're to wake up or not before the test."

"How many... Much time... Had I been recharging?" I asked, yawning wide.

"Two hours, I guess." He snickered. "That if you fell into recharge as soon as you got here, of course. I just came here few klicks ago, and you really made yourself comfortable, Kiddo!"

I got completely blushed at that, and big blue snickered sanely at me. I just replied by scratching my helm, smiling embarrassed. I noticed the other candidates were still there. Good, at least I didn't miss the test. I turned to Prowl again. "So, anything new?"

"Yes." He answered. "But I'm not allowed to tell you anything. Rules." He resumed. "Only thing I can say is first turn candidates are still taking the test, but you might have gotten that by yourself."

"Can we take some energon?" I asked, hopped.

"I'm afraid you can't." He rested a servo on my shoulder guard. "You know the test is not just physical. Your psychical will be tested too. They are keen on find out if you can stand a long fight without refuelling, like in a real combat."

"But all of us here we had the chance to rest while the others didn't." I wondered as I gave a thought.

"You were lucky." He shrugged. "But do you really think they haven't taken that into account?" He added tricky.

"It will be more difficult missions..." I whispered.

"You will find out when you go in there." Prowl leaned back on the wall, both servos now on his lap. "So, have you met someone here you would like to have as partner once you get into the real Gipsy Danger?" He taunted, gossipy.

I leaned forwards, having a look at the other candidates, analysing them quickly. I got against the wall once more and I gave a side look at the mech in front of me. He had closed his yellow optics for a moment, most likely evading himself for boredom by travelling somewhere else in his mind.

"Him." I answered softly, signalling the big blue with my helm. "He appears to be wholesome, agreeable, besides of intelligent."

I would have love to hear Prowl's opinion, but the door just opened and Alpha reappeared. We all sat up, hardly. I started to feel again that unpleasant sore all over my frame. I cursed silently, straightening up as I could.

"Prowl, just in time." He greeted. "We will proceed to suit you up and you will get into your simulator. You're not allowed to talk between you. Is it clear?" We nodded. "Good. Then, you will start coming in one by one." There was a short pause. "Knockout Sky." I was called first. Ok, I was about to face the second part. I took a deep vent and I followed Prowl in.

There were quite a lot of people out from their simulator, waiting sat on some improvised grandstands, observing me. They were the ones who had finished their test. I could see that there was a Tygerian mech looking at me defiantly. I just returned him the look as I passed by. He must have done it well, so I had to do it better if I wanted to pilot the real Gipsy Danger.

There were some screens to see what was happening inside the fake Conn-Pod, but at that moment there was no one taking the test. Ultra Magnus was there too. He must had come while I was recharging. Prowl guided me to my simulator and he put my armour on. Then he helped me into the simulator 2 and started connecting the respective cables to my suit. Meanwhile, he took advantage of the situation and he murmured me some advices, taking a big risk.

"Don't move, don't reply, just listen." He started, looking down my harness. "Remember, Knockout, like the ones we have done. You know you will have to guide your partner as you did with me. That's why I'm placing you here." He secured me well, and pulled strongly to make sure I was well secured. "There's just one difference, it's a blind test. You will only see the screen, you won't see your partner as well as their voice will be distorted, a secure measure in case someone had prepared some kind of plan or so, but apart from that, there's no difference." He just checked once more my cabling. "Remember, faster you do, better the results." The secured my feet. "Give a try. Are you comfortable?" I tested it and I nodded. "Well then, go for it. You're doing it great." He added before leaving.

I waited few minutes, and soon I heard the Cybertronian next to me, supposed to be my partner, had been secured too. Now we were both in the same simulator, ready to go. I just hopped it was a good partner. We heard the instructions, given by a femmenine electronic voice. "You're not allowed to identify yourself. You will not have a real neural drift. You're not allowed to cheat. If you do so, you'll be disqualified. Everything clear?"

"Yes." We both answered with distorted voice.

"Your test starts now."

I was the pilot, so I had to start. I first made sure the Jaeger was fully operational, like in the practices. That was something people tend to forget as well as the drift, but not me. Prowl had been a good master, and I was gonna make him proud. I proceeded with the protocol. "Gipsy Danger ready the for mission. We request information about the Terrorcon we will fight, the launch pad, the city it's heading to and the distance." I asked to the computer, as always.

The electronic voice answered me. "Terrorcon Cat. II, code name... Shatterhorn. City heading, Paxus... Distance left... 3.460 miles. Getting out from... Pan Pacific Shatterdome, Iacon." This mission wasn't easy, as I suspected, like the last ones Prowl and I practiced. I wondered if everyone had the same mission, but then dismiss it

"Pilots ready for the neural drift." I ordered.

"Establishing neural handshake... Neural Handshake strong and working." The voice answered. The drift was stablished.

"Calibrating the Jaeger." We both knew the movement we needed to do, as Prowl had taught me.

"Jaeger calibrated." The voice informed again.

"Gipsy Danger, ready to leave." I said as the last part of the protocol.

"Green light." The voice replied. "Launch bay 2."

"Aerial Transport requested." I immediately asked, in order to gain time.

"Denied." The voice said.

"Ok, it seems that we're on our own." I talked to my partner. "Is a bit far, so I hope you're fit, because we will suffer a bit more." I added with sorrow. I knew how hard was to do that distance on a simulation. "Let's start walking with right leg." I ordered. We both moved simultaneously. "Left... Right... Left..."

We left the base and as soon as we were out, I suggested to run. "We should increment our speed if we want to reach the city." I informed the copilot. "Right, Left, Right, Left..." We were moving.

"Pilot, do you know this song?" The other suggested, as he sang it briefly.

"Yes, why do you ask?" That had no sense right then.

"The rhythm we have is the same, but it will also help us to keep up and not falling behind. It will be good to cheer us up too." Now I saw where did it wanted to go.

"Good one!" I admitted. I would have added a dude there, but since I didn't know whether was a femme or a mech, I just omitted it. "Ok, in three... Two... One..." We automatically we started signing the chorus.

* * *

At the outside, the other candidates were in front of the huge screen, watching how did the others confront their mission. The Tygerian was looking close every move of the red mech he had seen before. The couple wasn't doing it bad at all. They could hear them talking, but not really interacting at all. Suddenly, it could be heard the couple was singing a tune. '_Singing during a serious mission? __They will not pass the test._' The Tygerian thought vainly, smug grin on face.

"Are they singing?" Ultra Magnus asked raising his gaze from the data pad.

"Just let them do it." Alpha walked beside him. "I know both of them, and I'm more than sure they are capable of doing it perfectly well." The white mech explained. "After all, who will control the Jaeger better than his own creator and a mech who coordinates well with him?"

* * *

We continued like that for a while, until we saw the monster far away. Good thing they were huge. We had such rhythm, we were gonna reach the city a quarter hour earlier than what we were expecting. That was a point for us. Now we were about to start the action.

"Ok, when we approach the Terrorcon, what do we do?" The voice of my copilot was heard.

"I would suggest to try to dissembled at least one of the legs, that would make it slow." I explained. "We could use the main weapon." I talked again to the computer. "Computer, is the weaponry active and working?"

"Affirmative." That was good.

"Activate the plasma canyons." I asked.

"Denied." Oh, scrap. I wasn't expecting that.

"Activate the chain sword." I tried.

"Denied." Ok, that was on purpose. I could heard my copilot swearing in Paxian.

"Changing plans. We're doing it the old style." I decided. "Let's try to attract its attention away from the city and attack it from the back, using our weight to pull it backwards." I tried to figure out as we positioned behind the beast. "If we managed destabilise it, it will be an easier target."

"K!" It agreed. "We should grab a hold there, over those plates." He suggested. Really smart.

The monster was still far from the miracle mile of the city. Great! We prepared to jump over the Terrorcon, our gazes focused on some projecting back plates it had. We rushed and jumped over it. Securing ourselves like there was no tomorrow. The platform moved briskly, as the monster tried to shake us off. We couldn't hang around much longer, so we moved our knees to the chest and then to the beast's spine, applying pressure and leaning ourselves backwards. It hurt, as I restrained a cry, but I had to be strong. My partner relied on me and I wasn't gonna give up on him. Not now.

"Pilot, the beast is relinquishing." He informed me. "We should be disengaging now, if not, we will be smashed under it."

"Disengaging in three... Two... One... Now!" I shouted, as we let it go of out servos, and pushing out pedes strong. The Jaeger flipped on air, making us land on the ground and skid, but fortunately upstanding. The monster growled, rolling over slowly, to face us. We didn't wait. "Let's try to knock it out." I suggested.

We moved fast, not letting the beast react. We succeeded on connecting twice our fists with its thick helm, but we didn't saw the tail coming as we were pushed forcefully backwards, falling to the ground several metrons away. The monster growled as it tried to jump over us, but we managed to roll out of the way. We hurried to stand up again. We made mental note to avoid the tail, though the tail wasn't the only unpredictable thing this beast had. We still needed to be careful with the head. We discovered it the bad way.

We had a difficult part when the monster launched its tongue and caught the ankle of our mecha. We stepped back all we could, resisting the creature's force to pull us towards it. If we let it pull us close, it would smash out Jaeger's leg, leaving us defenceless, therefore, deceased.

Red alert started sounding around, something to do with metal pressure. "We need to try to find something to cut that thing out and free ourselves." My copilot replied, fast thinking.

"It's time to try weaponry again." I suggested, denta gritted due to the effort. "Activate chain sword now!" I demanded firmly, feeling my muscles burn.

"Denied." The computer answered.

I growled in frustration. "Fine! Raw way." A suicidal idea crossed my mind then, something I had never practiced before, but something I equipped Gipsy with, and if we played it well, we could still have a chance. "You take lower control I take upper control of the Jaeger." I decided. "Tug as strong as you can from the ankle, and don't let go of the other pede, like if you were hammered into the ground." I instructed him. "I need let go of my pedes to try to free us with the servos. You will have to stand big pressure, you think you can handle it without me?" Was concerned about him.

"If disengaging your pede control and redirecting it into mine gets us free, for Primus sake, do it!" He shouted, struggling lightly.

"Get ready, redirecting hemisphere controls in three... Two... One... Now!" It felt heavy as I took the whole control of the upper part. We were dragged lightly forwards, as my partner adjusted to the new situation, but he managed to walk few steps backwards. I bend low to take a hold on the sticky tongue, trying to keep equilibrium, and once I had it strongly grabbed, I pulled forcefully upwards, gaining a roar from the beast. I tangled it around the forearms.

"If you keep doing that we will lose our limbs." The copilot informed concerned.

"Trust... Me." I managed to said betting ragged vents.

"Ok, but whatever your doing, do it fast. I think... The Terrorcon is preparing to charge, and... If we don't get ride of its glossa, we... Will be scrap metal."

I saw it coming. I could see it on those big alien optics. I gazed up in anger gaze, and I adjusted my servos over the tongue. I pulled both ends forcefully, with all my strengths, only to discover, for my horror, I couldn't manage to get us free. The monster rushed towards us.

My copilot was about to move when I stopped him. "Wait!"

"It will decease us!"

"Get ready to move when I tell you." I didn't have time to explain it. When the beast's jaws where almost on us I shouted, "Now!" He just moved the Jaeger to the side when the beast chomped, cutting the tongue with its sharp denta. The beast shrieked, in pain, and I hurried to get the tip of the glossa out of our ankle, so that my partner could move naturally. I untangled the forearms and prepared to fight back again.

"I'm back, partner." I said, cheering him up as I regained the control of the whole right hemisphere.

"Good to hear that!" He chuckled. "I was starting to think I was leading the mech on my own!" He joked.

"Glad to see you still conserve the humour." I smirked. "But we need to get rid of this monstrosity." I said as the jaws of the thing came into view again. We managed to keep it in place, occasionally struggling, but there we stood firmly.

"Then let's make honour to its name." He replied. "I don't like that horn of its. It could cause enough damage to let us powerless, so why don't we shatter it?" He said punching the helm away as we backed away lightly as we thought.

"We don't have weapons."

"Let's get one then." He replied again. It didn't took me long to discover what he meant.

"Good point." I admitted. "We should grab the thing firmly by the horn. If we managed to ground the huge helm down, we will have a chance."

We ran towards the beast, connecting few times our blows, and dodging its limbs. We managed to launch a pede to the audio receptor zone, making the Terrorcon fell, lightly disoriented. It was our chance. We hurried to sat down its neck, securing us with us thighs and resting our pedes on its shoulders, we had a firm hold on the horn. The Terrorcon growled, gaining full consciousness, and jumped and struggled forceps, unsuccessfully.

We tighten our grip, this time passing a servo behind the jaw, and the other one on the horn, letting us a better grip. We pulled strongly, until the appendix got free. It was said the only way to extract raw energon mineral out of a mine wall was by using another mineral from same mine. If that theory was right, the best way to defeat a terrorcon was with its own weapons, right?

"Let's just finish with it already!" My partner huffed, aware of the meaning of that.

"Let's not wait any longer and let's put his Terrorcon to rust!" I shouted victoriously. We sat up, still over the shaking beast, and grabbing the horn firmly, we both motioned down our arms in a fast movement.

The beast stopped moving. We took a moment to react. "You think is offlined?" I heard at the other side.

We moved away from the frame and started down it. "I think so." We checked it, just in case. "Pan Pacific, here Gipsy Danger. Terrorcon down. We're getting back home." I finally announced, big weight out of my shoulders.

"This is the end of the test." The electronic voice announced. "Time valance... 02 : 37 : 45. Coordination... 93%... Protocol respect... 99'9%... Overall valance... 95%... Well done. Congratulations." The simulation voice informed us. I vented relieved, right then, I didn't care if we had being the worst fighting or the best. The thing was over and I was glad. I let myself hang lightly from the harness, as my legs shook in lack of energon.

Soon, Prowl entered in and started taking all the cables out. I grinned at him as I fought to vent after the effort. "Congratulations, you two have done it wonderfully. Good job." He freed me and then he added, "You may face the most difficult test now, so just relax, and if you do have any trauma, don't think about it, just let it flow." He advised me silently as he helped me out.

"Thank you." I nodded.

We got out and we saw the other groups were already waiting for us. Did they finished earlier than us? I could see some of them looked upset, and a mech was sat on the ground as his femme partner fulminated him. There was no other group doing the simulation. The only one left was my partner, who was been disconnected then. I heard some heavy footsteps behind me. I turned around to see big blue whistling the song we had used before.

I looked at him sheep. "Yo." He greeted, satisfied. "How was it?" He asked in general. He gained some angry glares.

I instead answered back naturally. "Great." I wasn't sure yet if he had being my copilot, so I just asked back. "And you?"

"Wonderful!" He replied laughing. "I have no idea who was with me but, hey, the cyberteonian had good come backs! Well, not to mention about the incredible solution to split controls." He admitted. "I hope your partner was as good as mine." He added, rocking me lightly. He thought I had been in another simulator.

"You could tell me." I smiled sincerely, laying a servo on his forearm. "You have a good sense of rhythm, partner." I wondered if Prowl had had something to do with him being my partner.

"Oh, were you my pilot?" He asked surprised.

"Yes, he was." Prowl answered. "And you two have done it pretty well." We grinned at that.

"What happened to them?" I asked signalling the other candidates.

"Lot to tell, but I will cut to the chase." The cop answered. "Quite different results in both groups. The first round, the pilots of the sim.1 were killed because they did not have coordination. The sim.2 fell over the city bunker, smashing all citizens in the way. The sim.3 did it pretty well, with good coordination." I stiffed lightly. "The sim.4 forgot to apply the base protocol, so they hit themselves against the hangar gate. And the sim.5 got its Conn-Pod crashed." He resumed the first group.

"Now, your group." He continued. "Sim.1 made an stupid mistake that led them to lose the city. Sim.2 you did coordinate very well, we liked it. Sim.3. Lost three limbs during the first fifteen minutes of combat. Sim.4 lost its power core, leaving them like a pile of dead metal. And the sim.5 forgot to establish the neural handshake."

I was quite surprised by the silly mistakes someone could do when they were nervous. But I was even more surprised about the calm and cold helm my partner and I had had during the test.

"We are fortunate we did had a quite easy mission compared to others." Breakdown stated analysing the results.

"You didn't. You all had the same mission programmed, just changing the city. You even had the same Terrorcon." He clarified.

"Not only that." Alpha approached us, followed shortly by Ultra Magnus. We turned to face him as silence was settled in the room. "You were the only ones who were not allowed to use the weapons during the test."

"Why not, sir?" My blue copilot asked confused.

"Because Knockout was the only one who knew what the robot was equipped with." All the candidates looked at me. Some of them accused me of cheating. Alpha silenced them. "He did not cheat. He did know what Gipsy Danger is equipped with because he had designed the Jaeger."

"You gotta be kidding." Breakdown's optics went wide. He turned to me, curiously. "Did you really...?" I nodded shyly and I promised him I would tell the whole story. "No way!" He laughed.

"Candidates, we have made the selection. Only two couples have passed the test." Ultra Magnus talked then. "Raid Acid and Stargaze Bolt... With an 80%..." He silenced for a while, as the two candidates came to the front. "... And Breakdown Hammer and Knockout Sky... With a 95%. Congratulations." Magnus informed us. I jumped on my partner, screaming in joy, as my copilot hugged me tight. They looked at us like if we were a pair of lugnuts, but we didn't care, we were a pair of happy lugnuts. We finally recovered our composure under the strict R.R.D.C. representer's glare.

"Sorry, Sir." We replied, still snickering light.

"You will be lead to the next test, in the Med Bay." The blue mech added before turning around to leave.

"Follow me." Alpha asked us. We followed him, almost walking coordinately as we chattered more animated, and from time to time, singing our song.


	16. Neural Handshake

Updated - 25~05~2020

After the length issue, I came to a conclusion with this story. Is getting way too long, so I'm dividing it down in 2, perhaps 3 works, which will be easier to work with. I've been busy lately, and that prevented me from getting down to it. Moreover, it took me longer than planned to figure this chapter out, in fact, I almost got stuck with the story here as nothing came to me at all. But finally, inspiration decided to hang around and here it is the next chapter!

You can find more information about Rust Rim status or updates on my profile info. There you'll find a News section with upcoming chapters.

Hope you like it and enjoy!

* * *

_**Neural Handshake**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 13th Gygaxian 3224, Iacon, 7:00 am**_

"Oh, mech! That was genuine!" I laughed hard. "No one has done it before. How did you come up with it?"

"I think sometimes music can help the matter." My copilot explained. "And an entertaining work with music is not work at all!

"Ah! The perfect combination." I concluded. "Muscles and CPU all in one." I gestured at my new friend. "Finally someone who uses the helm to solve problems, instead for hitting walls with it!"

"Well, I'm can also be stubborn sometimes. That means I can hit a wall until I break it down." We laughed at his joke. "You know? I, some years ago, worked with the Wreckers, but before that I used to be a nurse at Praxus main hospital." He explained me. "I was really good at it, and I really loved it, but then a mech came to me and told me they needed someone with my skills among the Wreckers, and that's how I was recruited. Then few years later, when the whole horde of Terrorcons started I left them and joined the Shatterdome of Praxus, the Primus Liberty Shatterdome. Since then I've been doing bit of everything, helping with the Jaegers, playing to be doctor, helping with heavy packages... You know, helping there where I was needed." He explained before turning to look at me. "So, that's my story. What about yours? How did you get in here?"

"I was recruited too. I used to be a surgeon, a doctor. But turned out that I had some unique skills which resulted to be useful for the R.R.D.C. So they sent Prowl to Crystal City and here we are, working like a scientist, doctor, engineer and now as pilot, I hope so. All in all, working as the situation fits." I explained shortly. "The rest you will know it soon." I said, grinning, while I prepared myself to face my worst nightmares and share them with an stranger. "You're about to have a tour around my memory bank."

We entered the infirmary, next to the lab. Shockwave and Ratchet were already there, getting the things ready, not paying us much attention as we walked in. We stood there as we were remembered not to get nervous or focused on one thing, just to let it flow. Easy said but hard to carry it on. Finally the scientists made it to us and talked aloud. "Are you ready to enter into the others mind?" The white and orange mech asked. "Remember, everything you have in mind will be shared, even your most personal secrets. If you want to quit, now's the moment."

I looked at my copilot and he looked at me. I saw confidence and respect in his optics, and it was right then when I realised he was the rightest one I would ever found. We both nodded, determined. "We are ready." I just hoped that we were truly compatible. We turned our helms to had a look at the other candidates, who seemed as determined as we were as they remained in place. Immediately Ratchet proceeded to guide us to our respective berths, where we laid and waited.

I vented slowly, momentarily blocking everything around me as if time had stopped. I could only hear my vents working smoothly as I was conscious that that moment was determinant for my future. It was now or never, the moment I would fulfil by dream or shatter it into thousand pieces and never achieve it. I was nervous, and worried, but all in all, there was a third feeling deep inside my spark. Fear. I was scared, scared of not been accepted, of not been able to keep going forwards, afraid of failure. I almost jumped out of the berth as I felt a huge servo on my forearm.

"Hey, Knockout, look at me." It was Breakdown, laying by my side awaiting too. "Everything will be fine, ok? As long as you stay by my side, every will be alright." He talked me serene, yet friendly. "We have gone this far already, and we have made it well till now as comrades, but let's get to the end as partners, together. Shall we?"

I locked gaze with him, suddenly feeling my fears banish as it was replaced with courage. I grabbed his servo and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Together, as one, partner." I reaffirmed.

Finally, Shockwave made it to us once he was done with the other candidates and immediately connected us to the psychical cortical patch, getting the computer ready before switching on the connection. I gotta say that the cable attached to my helm was not comfortable at all, but I knew it would be different from the real method on Jaegers, so didn't complain. Ratchet monitored our vitals once more before speaking again. "Relax and let your memories come to you, don't get stuck into them, just let them flow. You may feel dizzy at first, but you'll be fine. Ready?"

As soon as were were correctly connected to the psych patch, Ultra Magnus entered in and stood by Alpha's side. Prowl also was there. The door opened one last time, and Pharma entered in, ready to help if needed. The Genius was completed now. I could hear Shockwave saying that he would initiate the drift in few breems. I vented deeply and I waited.

"Initiating neural handshake." Shockwave announced. Ratchet was next to me, ready to act if something went wrong. "Remember. The less you hold a memory, the faster the connection will be." He explained. "The neural drift only last few clicks, if it is well done. Then we will proceed to test you." We typed something on the computer. "Three... Two... One..."

We nodded and with that everything became black.

* * *

Both mech seemed to have powered down as they went completely still, optics closed, arms hanging loose. Ultra Magnus had lowered his data pad immediately, not understanding what's going on.

"Is that normal?" He dared to ask as the doctor made sure the safety and vital of both patients were stable. Everything indicated they were find, yet, they had gone out.

"No." Shockwave hurried to check the connection. "It makes no logic. They should be awake."

"Disconnect them." Magnus ordered, immediately ordered. "We have to get them out from there.

"Impossible." Shockwave denied. "Both of them are in limbo, what means both of them are into the walkway rather than into the connection." He explained it to the commander, as it seemed not to fully understand it. "I they happen to be disconnected right now, they will both become empty husks as their mind will be lost when the walkway shatters. No walkway, no way back to their frames. They will both lose themselves and will never wake up."

"And what can be done?" Ratchet inquired, worried about the null CPU activity on his pad.

"Wait." The scientist replied emotionless. "Whatever it's happening in there, they are the only ones to solve it. They are on their own."

* * *

I didn't know where I was, but I knew I was dazed. I turned around, trying to find something that could give a clue of where I was. I felt lost and alone, and cold. I was afraid. There was no light, no runaway, no help. I needed to do something, so I started walking forwards, maybe there was something ahead waiting for me, or maybe I would get lost forever.

I had been walking for a while now, but then something got me. Where was he? "Breakdown?" I called. "Where are you, partner?" No response. "Breakdown!" Nothing. I knelt down, holding my helm in desperation. I was getting stressed and I wanted to go back when suddenly my darkness lit up by a distant light. I raised my gaze to have a look at it, trying to figure out what was it.

I hurried to stood up and without a second thought I transformed and drove top speed towards him. For my surprise said light was getting closer by itself, or maybe was an optical illusion, I didn't care, I just pressed the gas further. Feeling of comfort was now overtaking me as I started to feel... Home.

I devised a figure at the horizon, and my spark felt a wave of relieve. The surroundings around me had changed, I was into a city I did not know, but I didn't care, I just kept pushing until I was close enough to him. I transformed and walked until I got by my partner's side, who was giving his back to me.

"So this gotta be Praxus, right?" I asked amazed, as I had a look around.

"Yeah, but not how it is today. This is how it looked like before the Terrorcons attacks." Breakdown explained, gaze lost into horizon. "I was waiting for you. What took you so long?"

"Have no idea." I admitted looking to the ground. "But I thought I was lost." I silenced again, frowning. "Anyway, is this the Neural Handshake? I imagined it different."

"So did I, but I guess we entered into drift rather than simply connect to each other." Breakdown reflexed, intelligently. That kinda surprised me, after all my partner was smarter than what he let on. "Thank you for realising I'm not a simple brute."

"Oh, right! We can hear each other's thoughts." How could I forget? "Anyway, I really meant that."

He chuckled lightly before twitching focus. "So I would say we're in my mind, thus you travelled all the way from yours to here, instead of remaining back there." He wondered signally the walkway. "Interesting, but, if we got into drift, how can we get out?"

"I have no idea. Is not like we're chasing the turbofox, yet we're stuck." I tried it. "There must be a way out."

"Hum, if we manage to find a way to online our functions... Maybe we could find a way to coordinate and get this test done so that we could be free again." He silenced. "The medic said we had to relax and let the memories come to us. Maybe that's the problem. No memories presented themselves."

"Maybe we have to look for them?" I inquired.

His question got me surprised again. "Do you think is it fear of sharing them?"

"Let's find out." We got further into the city, as Breakdown leaded the way. We found various cybertronians I didn't know, but they were part of his memory. He presented me them as we went by. At each step I got to know my partner like never before, I could see him, understand him, feel him. I had been at his sparklinghood places, his former home, the Primus Liberty Shatterdome... Each place we visited beheld a memory of great importance to my friend, most of them good ones, but sad ones too. I was being witness of his entire life.

We travelled a long journey till a zone I recognised. And then it hit me. "Breakdown I know which is the problem. I gotta say it's amazing, even gorgeous, but you created a whole city out of your memories. That means we've gotta get out from here if we wanna get out of the drift."

"Got a solution?"

"Think so." I said looking around. "We're at the starting point. That way is the walkway." I said, tracing an imaginary map. "In theory each one should have gone throw our memories and then somehow wake up, but instead we started with yours, so we've gotta get into mines if we wanna step forwards. It's the logical next step."

"How do we do that?"

"Destroy the city." I replied. "Let it banish."

I found uncertainty into his optics but he understood it was necessary. He closed them straightening up and letting his mind become blank. The ground under our pedes started trembling, and then shacking forcefully as the buildings in front of us started to become rusted. The place became darker at each time and the tall towers around came down towards us. I looked in terror how everything was toppling down and we were just on its way. I didn't know if could happen something to us or not, but it was making me uneasy. Instead Breakdown looked peaceful, still closed optics.

When the building next to us was about to collide it transformed into dust, like the rest of the city. Everything around us became quiet and black again. '_Peace before the storm_', Breakdown's thoughts came to me as he looked at me again. For some reason I didn't knew what was he talking about but I could feel it too. We were pulled by an unknown force that threw us fas away. The only thing I knew next was that I hit the ground hard.

I got up slowly, shaking my helm and dusting myself off, even if there wasn't any dust around, just a reflex action. I turned to look at my partner and hurried to help him up. He whistled in astonishment. "I thought Cristal City was... Brighter."

"What?" I turned around to have a look. I was shocked. Why did it had to be here? "This is no Cristal City. Welcome to Kaon."

"What are we doing here?"

"Most likely, come across my worst nightmares. I'm afraid that we may get stuck in here if I don't overcome them." I murmured.

"Hey, not alone, ok?" He laid a servo on my shoulder pad. "Come on, you lead!"

* * *

"Any change, doctor?" Magnus asked, again. It had been a half jour now since they had connected them, and yet had obtained no response form the candidates.

"Curious you ask." Ratchet started. "Something is going on, because I'm getting readings from both now, weak, but steady."

"They are working something out." Shockwave completed as he read the analysis on his data pad.

"Any visual of what's happening?" Prowl asked.

"No." The scientist replied.

"It's taking them a while, isn't it?" Pharma asked stunned, while tended the other candidates after the test, who almost fried their processor while drifting. "Maybe the are suffering and energy drain?"

"No. If that was happening, I would get immediate readings." Ratchet corrected. "For the moment everything is working."

"We hope." Prowl murmured, starting to worry.

* * *

"Hey, Knockout, where you keeping your memories?" Breakdown asked innocently. "This kinda looks empty."

"Don't worry, we're about to get there." I replied silently, nervousness washing over me. We walked for few breems, and then we reached a well know building. "Get ready." I said venting deep. Then I proceeded and pushed the door opened. I was met with darkness again. Where the rust was light when you needed it?

Wondered in, as little by little few memories made their appearance before disappearing again. "Don't take it bad, but your mind look pretty creepy and sinister."

"Then grab a hold on your gears, because worst is about to come." I replied. I heard some footsteps getting closer to us and finally I was met with my biggest fear. Red burning optics locked onto me, anger on them, judging me. Every memory came to me like ghost of the past I was willing to forget. Before I could even react I found myself in the middle of a whirlwind, being hunt by all those nightmares, one after another. I tried a pair of times to get out form there, but there was no way out. I screamed in frustration, desperately fighting back all those unpleasant phantoms, but strengths were leaving me and I fell to my knees, helm hanging forwards. I was stuck and I was giving up.

An open servo was waiting for me as I raised my gaze. I could see Breakdown smiling softly towards me, with his servo tended to me, he was trespassing my memories effortlessly because they couldn't hurt him, but he could help me instead. I was not alone now.

"They, partner, let's get out from here." He offered as I grabbed his forearm and he mine. I was pulled upwards and then, little by little, out of the whirlwind. As I did so, I let go of the memories as this seemed to banish like dust in the wind. '_Thank you, Breakdown._' Like had happened before, the whole place shattered into thousand pieces, only that this time, we fell into the void as ground failed to sustain us.

We suddenly woke into reality, returning to the room where we were before, sitting up in an immediate reaction. We would have stood up if we hadn't been stopped. For some reason, we adopted a guarding position, ready for the next challenge awaiting for us, but nothing came to us. We did not understand it but next thing we knew, we were motioned to lay back on the berths again.

"Ta... Asy..." I started to hear a know voice. "... Kout, ... n... u... hear me? Knockout!" I was met with a light directed to my optics as a grey face with turquoise optics came into view. "Knockout, can you hear me?"

We both focused on the white and orange mech in front of us. "Ratchet?" Breakdown asked in reaction to my thought. "What's going on?"

"Looks like the neural handshake is working." The doctor replied, facing Shockwave.

"Steady and strong." He declared, lowering his data pad. "How do you feel?"

"Oh mech, this is awesome!" I replied this time, experiencing the enthusiasm of Breakdown.

"When do we start?" This time it was both simultaneously who replied, trying once more to get up from the berth to try some fighting skills.

"Easy down, or they will tie you down to berth!" We heard Pharma at the back, snickering. "By the way, you could greet or something, no?" We wave a servo in response, perfectly synchronised.

"Enough." Magnus stated. "Let's get done with it." He hurried up as he had other duties and our test was taking way too long, so we set to it.

* * *

I gotta say it felt great to finally be set free. I stretched myself, glad of standing up and having full range of movement. The initial results looked promising, although I must admit it took us a some time to get to it, since it seemed we had been quite a stuck for a while. Anyway, we were still waiting for the results as the committee was no discussing it while we waited on a corner. It was making me eager, but a single gaze of my partner managed to make me feel differently. It was strange the way we interacted between us, taking into account we were no other than stranger to each other not long ago and now we were more than acquaintances, yet it felt well. The group finally turned towards us and gave us some feedback. At last!

It was Alpha the one to talk. "Gentlemech, we had revised your actuation today, and after pondering your compatibility, and the incident of the other candidates while connecting, we have come to a conclusion." There was a dramatic pause before he lightly grinned. "Congratulations, your now the pilots of Gipsy Danger."


	17. First Steps

_**Updated - 04~07~2020**_

* * *

_**First Steps**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 23th Paxian 3224, Iacon**_

Some months were gone after the test, and to be honest it seemed like eternity had gone since then. Breakdown and I were given a to a bigger room, which had the logo of Gipsy Danger on the door, and even if it wasn't something special at all made us feel way too important. It was more roomy, it had a pair of berths and a barthroom. It had quite a good illumination and also a quite big window with a desk under it. Not bad, I liked it. Each one chose a berth, I took the the one next to the door and Breakdown took the one at the back, and I'm glad we did it that way, because Breakdown turned to be a really heavy recharger, and never got to hear when we were called from the outside, practicing what could happen on a real event.

As I had promised, I also showed my partner the Pan Pacific Shatterdome. We hang up so often that it didn't take much time for Breakdown to join The Genius. He used to be a medical assistant, and I was glad he was still as good as he had assured me. We really did good team together. He also had great sense of humour, which most of the time ended up with Shockwave's 'Logical' patience. Back then I would have never admit it, but now I think we were kinda sparklish.

Anyway, back to my mecha. I will never forget this date, 23rd Paxian 3224. It was the day my beloved Jaeger, Gipsy Danger, was finished and for the very first time in my live, I would be able admire my own creation, completed. I told Breakdown everything about the Iaconian titan, our titan, and every time I got to talk about it, he laughed at me because he said my optics couldn't go brighter in enthusiasm, not my grin wider. But all in all, he always ended up impressed by thing like how big robots were or the fact that they could actually become an extension of the pilots themselves, mimicking their movements naturally. Breakdown once told me that Primus Liberty was just a construction shatterdome, but that all the Jaeger ended up somewhere else, thus he never got to see them into action.

We were chatting pleasantly when we received a comm. link. from Soundwave. "_You're requested into the preparation chamber number 2. Your white suits are already done and ready to test._"

We looked at each other, and without a word we hurried through the base, ignoring the confusion gazes directed to us as we passed by. We loved doing things together, specially challenging each other, and this time was no different. We could have walked like any normal mech would have done, but we were anything but normal and we did had too much adrenergon running through our veins, asking us for more. We entered the pilots preparation chamber number 2 in a rush, almost toppling over some boxes on the floor. There were some vehicons opening the boxes with our respective new suits, who stood in silence watching us as we tried to recover our composure, between snickers. They were ready, and so we were.

"Good to see you're ready and in good mood." A well known vehicon greeted.

"Hey, Steve, good to see you here!" I greeted the mech that had cheered me up during the test. The others also greeted. "Hi, team!"

"We were assigned here, and glad you two are the new pilots." He grinned shaking our hands. "This team is at your service."

"Oh, please, no need of formalism." Breakdown talked. "After all we would be nothing without all of you." I did admire the way my friend thought. He understood well the concept of team, and he more than once had told me that no one gets behind. After all, good teams were those who were together, with good relationship and respect. How right was he.

We proceeded to put the black thin suit, and they soon started attaching the white pieces on it. "Breakdown, our team is too polite to say anything about it, but I really think we should imitate other pilots in their behaviour, you know what I mean." I started.

"You're the one to talk!" He replied as the vehicons laughed. "Who started the whole last-one-getting-there-is-a-whatever thing?"

"No idea who you talking about." I said diverting my gaze, playing along as he hold his laugh. "How's he?"

"You'd better not ask, just in case." My partner shook his helm and then changed subject. "Knockout, I've been wondering something for a while now, but you never got to explain it to me. Why does Gipsy Danger lack her Conn-Pod?" He looked at me. "I mean, she shouldn't have it over her shoulders?"

"You'll see whenever we test her." I grinned slyly. I felt how the spinal neural piece was attached, and soon we did only had left the helmet. Each one had one that attached to the nape and this one unfolded until covering our helm entirely. It looked quite funny, but it suited perfectly well. I moved, I also made some fighting moves, and I felt really comfortable. I surprised myself with the design, what a masterpiece, but whoever built it just got the key. "How does it feel like, partner?"

"Simply put... Awesome!" His optics said everything. "Who ever did it though about comfort too." I loved the natural humour my friend had. The room was cleared for us and we tried a series of fighting moves. After all the drift and combat practices we had done during that time, we quite learned to coordinate in fight moves. It was amazing.

For our surprise, Prowl made his appearance into the room, followed by Shockwave. They greeted the vehicons and they approached us. "You do look elder." He said like a father would have said, proud of us both. Then he interchanged a gaze with the scientist and turned to us again. "What you say, are you ready to test Gipsy?"

"Are we testing her now?" We both asked. We looked at each other as a wider grin appeared on our face plates.

"Mechs, please, follow us." Shockwaves instructed, gesturing towards the door that lead us to our Jaeger. The vehicons followed through the catwalk until we reached the heavy damper located on the nape of Gipsy. We entered in and all the lights switched on.

The Conn-Pod was even more spectacular than what I had imagined it. I gave few breems admiring every single detail I notice before I got to my place. Prowl and Shockwave secured themselves at the back while the vehicons screwed us to the controls of the Jaeger. We were literally attached to our mecha, but I didn't pay much attention, after all, I was just about to pilot my own Jaeger. My Spark seemed it was gonna get out from my spark-chamber as it took for ever to start up.

The central computer welcomed us as the main systems came online. "Two pilots in, Welcome." We took our hand controller with the respective limb we were gonna move later on in the test.

"Gipsy Danger are you ready for the testing session?" We heard Alpha's voice through the comm. link., taking from the Command Station.

"Yes, Sir." I replied. "By the way, shouldn't Prowl be monitoring us?" I asked curiously.

"I would not have missed this opportunity." Prowl came back.

"You will have Soundwave doing it for you." He answered. "You two should calm yourselves down, your vitals are too fast." He added in understatement.

I started pressing buttons, getting ready. I looked around, poker face on. "You ready for what's coming now? K, then! Grab a hold on something and brace yourselves!" Their confusion faces were priceless. "You gonna hate me for this." I contacted Loccent again. "Command, Gipsy Danger ready for the big drop." I requested. I could hear the confirmation and soon I felt the moorings letting the Conn-Pod free. "Here we go!"

A click later we were in free falling, just guided by two rails at both side of Gipsy's head. I didn't had time to see other reaction as I was too caught up experiencing my own, but what was hard to ignore was the laud thrill shout of Breakdown. Oh Primus, he almost fused my audio receptors! We made contact with the rest of the body and the rails disengaged from the head. "Oh, mech, that was incredible!" Breakdown opened his mouth in a mixture of surprise and joy, optics going wide.

The Con-Pos started screwing in the body as the plates that protected the it locked into their right place.

"I did told you, you would hate me." I grinned, looking back towards the cop and the scientist.

"How did you designed this mechanisms?" My partner wondered astonished.

"Well, I did want to add a personal signature. You know, add my own style." I answered back. "And what best way of doing it than adding a free fall? Besides, sparklings all over the world will remember this for sure."

The command station programmed the computer to prepare the neural drift. "Pilot-to-pilot connection protocol sequence." We could feel beneath us how the power nucleus started up and the lights witched on.

We heard Soundwave making the count down for us to prepare the connection. "Ready for another tour around my thoughts?" The blue mech teased me. I didn't reply, directed him a determined yet friendly gaze as we heard the computer saying something.

In few clciks, all our memories flowed faster unlike the first time. I had lost track of how many times did we had a neural handshake, but every time I got to know something new from my friend, and it really made me feel comfortable. Our connection was strong and really stable, and we could start feeling the Jaeger as a very part of ourselves. I felt gigantic.

"Loccent to Gipsy Danger, you need to calibrate the hemispheres." Alpha got me put of my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, calibrating right hemisphere." I announced, adjusting my position.

"Left hemisphere... Calibrated." Breakdown informed too.

Following the idea that had crossed Breakdown's mind, we grasped our left with the right servo, giving Gipsy her very first signature move. We decided time ago that we wanted to do our Jaeger to be really ours, with personality, just like Cherno Alpha when he clenched his fist together. And that's what we did.

"Gipsy Danger ready to leave." Breakdown announced. "Requesting permission."

"Head the gate 2." Alpha informed us. "Good ride, mechs."

"Let's show off our new Jaeger." I said.

This time, we did not have the need of telling what to do as we both thought about the same movements. And there for the very first time, we took our first steps as pilots. We could see people admiring us. I also spotted rest of The Genius outside the lab's catwalk, specially Pharma shouting and jumping euphorically while Ratchet looked at him pissed. As we had to overview all the robot's functions, and test articulations, why not waving back? It didn't take long for Lazerbeak to be flying around us as we reached the opened gate ready to leave.

The memory of Cherno's ride came to me. I grinned remembering the excitement I felt then. It had been a great feeling, but nothing compared with piloting Gipsy Danger. I didn't even noticed, but while thinking about it, I also made my copilot smile. "Those are good memories, Doc." He talked to me.

"But nothing compared to this." I almost forgot that Shockwave and Prowl were there. "Hey, how are you doing it at the back?"

"Great. All the machinery moves smoothly." Prowl lifted his gaze from his data pad.

"It would be logical to test some other movements." The purple mech suggested.

We both looked at each other as Breakdown started with our song while I continued. We made Gipsy run. It was true. All the pilots said that the simulator had nothing to do with piloting a real Jaeger. This was much more exciting and easier to move. It was... More real.

* * *

Few jours later, we returned to the base. We walked until we reached our platform. Then, we got out the Conn-Pod, and we walked to the command station. There, we got the results of our test. "The Jaeger worked well. All the functions were operative and its performance was brilliant. So could be said about the pilots. They did coordinate well, and they did not suffered any incident." Shockwave informed.

"Incidents?" I asked confused.

"When the pilots are not related or do not have a bond, it makes more risky the drift." Alpha explained.

"We did lost two pilots during a test session, quite long ago, because their minds could not bear the connection with the Jaeger. They internal net overloaded, frying their processor." Prowl added. "But, with your results, I don't think you'll have any problem."

"Well then. We could say that Gipsy Danger is ready for fight." Alpha declared.

We both were more than glad of hearing that. That meant that the we would face the next Terrorcon. It would be the first real fight, and we were now an option to save the world. We now possessed three active Jaegers, each one with better specialisations. And we had the best one.

We greeted, and we walked to the preparation chamber to take the white suit off. Then we walked to the canteen to have lunch. There we were received as heroes, even though we did not had a battle, yet. We sat on our usual table.

The Steam brothers approached us, and the eldest one talked. "What you did with the Conn-Pod..." He said gesturing the drop, "... Awesome. How did you feel?" Everyone was curious.

"Well, you were right, the simulation is nothing compared to a real Jaeger." I said. "And believe me that piloting your own creation also makes you feel more excited."

"Spectacular, but he did not tell us that there was a big drop." Breakdown added. "Which adds more excitement."

"Oh, by the way, were you singing?" The copilot of Puma Real asked.

"Yeah!" Everyone laughed. "It was his idea." I pointed Breakdown. "It helped us during the test to keep the same rhythm."

"We do have now another Jaeger to save the world." Pharma said exhilarated. "Let's drink a toast." He got up and raised his cube. "For Lady Danger, and her pilots, for the future battles they will win and for Cybertron!"

We all raised our cubes and drank... "For Gipsy Danger!" We all said.

Little did we know about what was waiting for us.


	18. Hall Of Fame

_**Updated - 18~09~2020**_

Well, first of all, I must say sorry for such delay. I think I miscalculated the time I needed for it and I was getting frustrated. But I got some good news. I finally had some inspiration and I'm updating the following 3 chapters in row.

I also have to say thank you to all of you, who had been waiting patiently.

You may have also seen that the main title changed. Yes, I convinced myself that it would be much better if I divided the story in parts. I didn't wanted to scare anyone with a fanfic with more than 75 chapters. I still cannot believe myself I wrote that much...

These three chapters, specially chap 19, drove me nuts! I've gotta say I learned a really special lesson. If you ever have something written and don't like it, is better to erase it all rather than trying fixing it. Believe me, is ways worse. But at least, after banging myself against a wall, little by little I managed to put the chapter together, making some sense out of the uncountable words.

Enough verbiage from me. Now, it's time for you to enjoy!

* * *

_**Hall of Fame**_

_**Cybertron, Miracle Mile, 17th Tygerian 3224, Kaon**_

Just two months after the test session, the following attack occurred. It was mid day, and we were in The Genius Zone, helping in researches and taking advantage of the little time we now spent there. We were chatting calmly when the alarm was shot. All the red and orange lights in the base lighten up.

"Cherno Alpha and Gipsy Danger report to your respective preparation chambers." We heard Prowl from the megaphone.

"Come on Breakdown, we've gotta safe the world!" I said as we both got up like lightnings.

"Kick its tailpipe!" He heard Pharma, now far away as we ran out of the lab.

"Watch out! Pilots on their way!" We shouted as people got out of our way. They also cheered us up.

In few breems we were already in the preparation chamber, with the thin suit on. The vehicons were fast, and we soon had the white plates on. Without losing a click, we found ourselves already into the Jaeger, starting it up. We had trained that many times, so that our first time for real turned natural to us.

Since we were a pair of novices, Alpha Trion had decided to send Cherno Alpha as back up. It was risky to let us on our own on our first battle, so a stronger Jaeger and more experienced pilots would stand by us.

The monster was heading Kaon, pretty far away from where we were. I soon understood why didn't we use ground bridges, nor space bridges. The first ones were too small to transport a giant robot, and the second ones were too powerful that could fry all the circuitry of the Jaeger and the pilots. Instead, we developed an aerial transport that moved us to the place, a bit slower than the green portals, but faster than walking or running.

We were already in the drift, as we felt that Gipsy was been secured to the transports, ready to leave. We started to rise up in the air, and the Pan Pacific got smaller as we were carried. Meanwhile, we listened Alpha giving tactical advices, and we discussed it with the Steams.

"Laserbeak has made a visual with the Terrorcon. It's bigger and more lethal than the previous one. This is not a simulation anymore, this goes for real. The city of Kaon relies on you." Alpha stated, more for us than for the Steams. "Cherno Alpha, you are the more experienced now, thus, you will guard the Miracle Mile. Gipsy Danger, you are to engage in your first battle. We want to see how you respond to it. If you happen to have problems, disengage, the Steams will finish the work." There was a short pause. "Gentlemechs, I don't think I have to remind you this is not a competition, it's a collaboration, right?"

"No, sir." The fourth answered.

"Good."

"Sir, Gipsy is arriving the drop zone." We heard Prowl informing.

"Release for drop." Alpha ordered.

We felt the locks opening, as we were in a free fall. Unconsciously, we prepared for the impact, and and soon hit the ground, successfully. We stood up and located the Terrorcon, a mile ahead of us. If we hurried to intercept it, we would have enough distance towards the city.

We studied the beast, as it advanced. Atticon. 2000 metric tones. Cat-II. The biggest one till now... I was ready. We were ready.

As we used to do in the simulation, we positioned ourselves between the city and the menace, while Cherno held the miracle mile. Once sure we were in position, we advanced, making the Jaeger move towards the Terrorcon. The beast growled, and although we had never seen ourselves in such situation, we didn't frighten. We were nervous, yes, but not scared.

As one like we were, Breakdown and I started moving the pede machinery, getting Gipsy Danger towards its opponent. The monster didn't wait either. It charged.

"Knockout, remember the 12th simulation we did?" My copilots thoughts came to me, showing me his idea. "The crisscross manoeuvre?"

"How to forget it!" I smirked. "Alright! When that thing is almost over us, knee to the ground and turn around!"

"_Damn it, guys! You make it sound like you're dancing!_" Skywarp scoffed. I'd love to reply one of my own back, but at the moment I was too busy.

As we had imagined, when the beast was on us, it raised its huge left arm, in an attempt to destabilise us. It was then when we knelt down and skidding over the floor grabbed one of its back legs, pulled forcefully. As the Terrorcon hit the ground, we turned around, standing up immediately. Without losing a click, we jumped over its back, just like we had done with Shatterhorn on our fist simulation.

We hopped we could maintains the creature in place as we searched for the soft spots, only that we did not take into account the arm length. That thing reached its own back and grabbing us tight from a limb, it threw us far away, merciless.

We bounced twice, skidding away to a stop. Maybe Gipsy took a pair of hits, but inside the Con-Pod, each bang was violent earthquake. If we hadn't been literally screwed onto the machinery itself, we would have been thrown through the windshield.

"_Gipsy Danger, need a servo?_" Cherno's copilot asked, as we could hear he was pulsing some buttons.

"Negative." We muttered, standing our giant up.

I would have charged again, but Breakdown stopped me. We had attracted the attention of the creature as it changed direction. We were now its objective. Once done with us, it would proceeded with the destruction of Kaon. The beast approached slowly, as we stood completely still. For the first time in my life, I had no idea what was passing through the mind of my friend.

"Long, bulky and prehensile arms... Armoured chest and helm..." My partner observed, studying our opponent. "Soft spots...

"Apparently none." I concluded, frowning. "How ar..."

"On the contrary! It's so obvious you haven't even considered it." Breakdown smiled triumphant. "Think about it like our opponent was cybertronian. Look at it."

"It's an alien, but it pretty much look like a cybertronian." I started to see where was he heading. "Thus... The soft spots must be between plates!" I opened my optics in realisation.

The beast started to run towards us, and so did we. We expected it to launch one of it huge servos towards the Con-Pod, but instead, that thing seemed to be a step ahead of us. When it was next to us, it turned around and hit us on our legs, making us kiss the ground.

We managed to turn around just in time block the incoming hit, still on the ground. That thing had used the same move we had made breems ago against us. Atticon was learning from us. Scrap! They didn't tell us that back at the training days.

Struggling, we launched a kick to the creatures abs, making it tremble backwards. It was enough for us to stand up in a hurry and blow several punches to the helm. To be honest I had no idea of what I had to do. It wasn't like that how I had imagined my first fight. I always imagined it glorious, but right then I didn't even know if I was gonna get out alive. It was all a mess.

"Don't you dare to bail out now, Doc!" The angry voice of my partner hit me like a slap. "Leave your fragging fatalistic thoughts aside and for Primus sake, concentrate! Or I'll make you!"

"_An advice and a reminder Gipsy._" The Kaonian pilots talked this time, observing the situation from outside. "_Advice. It's preparing to bite your arm. Move right. Reminder. You have weapons. Use them._"

"Understood." Replied, twitching back focused.

Silence had been right. Like a lightning, it had craned its neck and launched us a bite. Fortunately we had move just in time. We delivered a servo edge hit to the exposed neck, obtaining a painful shriek. There. Finally a clue.

Without losing time, we braced the left arm as we moved the knee up, hitting the beast just below the chest plate. Then, punched the creature twice on its audio receptor, leaving it lightly disoriented. We grabbed a hold on the jaw and used the elbow rocked to crash the helm. The blow had such a potency that the skull plates caved in.

Partially blinded and disoriented, the monster had no options against us. We could now anticipate the moves and avoid the attacks easily. The beast was panting as much as we were. It was taking too long, so we decided to end it up at once.

"Engage chain sword." I demanded.

The plates moved in place smoothly. Turning around, we dodged one last attempt to fight back and with a swift move, the beast's helm fell to the ground. The rest of the body collapsed behind us and stood still. Deceased.

"Gipsy Danger to Pan Pacific... Atticon is down." We turned around to look at Cherno Alpha, who had approached to give us a servo. "Mission completed. No pilot nor citizen injured. Retuning back home."

I looked at Breakdown, discussing with him what I had in mind. He did like the idea. "Hey, is there Pharma listening?"

"_Affirmative_." Prowl responded.

"Pharma, take this down. _Atticon - 17th Tygerian 3224_." I said. "Make sure that maintenance group knows it. We want to add that to Gipsy's decals."

"_Written down._" We heard the scientist at the back. "_You will have to tell us how was the fight, Knockout. With details._"

"D'accord." I answered in Crystaline. "We'll tell you everything single thing."

We gave the way back discussing the battle with the Steams. They told us that they could have done it faster and better, as always. After all, that was the Kaonian ego. We also saw that Laserbeak had laid herself on our Jaeger, somewhere over the helm protector. She must have been as exhausted as we were, though we didn't even notice her during battle.

After a long way, we entered the base. We manoeuvred our Jaeger into its platform. All those movements made Laserbeak flew away, towards her master. We finally stationed Gipsy and we got out of the Conn-Pod, thanks to the operator that unscrewed us. We took our helmet out, as we entered the preparation chamber. Once we got the suit off, we walked off, not without thanking the workers who had helped us with the armour.

We were received just like heroes. Everyone claimed our names, we were the mechs of the day, and Gipsy Danger the ultimate Terrorcon weapon. We found the Steams in the way. They greeted us respectfully.

"Welcome to the stardom, _Attiricons_."

Since I was Kaonian breed too, I could understand what that meant. Slaughters of Atticon. I never thought I would become an _Iricon_. The Kaonians had that custom, give their role models heroic names. It was a way of showing respect in another new level.

We walked through the passageway, heading the command station. Everyone there greeted us with handshakes. Then we finally could inform Alpha about the mission. "I'm glad you were able to succeed in this mission without needing backup. You too did a really intelligent move, Steams. Guarding the city was really important, and more since what it means for you." He nodded to us. "You have, fourth of you, proven that you are worthy pilots and that you can fight for Cybertron. Well done."

"Hey, Alpha, you have something left to say." Breakdown intervened.

Alpha looked at him intrigued. "What is it?"

We looked to each other, and the fourth answered simultaneously. "Reset the war clock."

* * *

We managed to walk to the main hangar, were a crowd awaited to hear us telling the fight. We had a quite big crew gathered, listening carefully everything we said without missing a word. We also had the other pilots around, occasionally commenting something about their other encounters.

"... So there we were, Atticon against Gipsy Danger. We were about to continue the attack, when suddenly... BAM! The Terrorcon hit us on the legs. We almost fell to the ground..."

"Don't lie, Knockout. You actually hit to the ground." Skywarp corrected me from somewhere over some boxes, leaning backwards against the wall, smirking.

"Hey, I'm the one telling the story." I retorted back, smile in my lips. "So, where was I... Oh yes! We _fell_ to the ground, tackled but the monster. It seemed that we were gonna die in there. But I could hear what my partner in here, Breakdown, was thinking. '_I'm not gonna become an extrathin metal sheet pile of scrap!_' That also gave me strength to continue fighting..." I silenced.

I could see an sparkling had approached us. It seemed that a worker had brought him there in order to meet us. He stood some meters away, sly, and I could see he had somthing in his servos. I walked up to him and I knelt in front of him. It seemed to have no more than six stellar cycles. He raised his gaze and looked at me in exitement. "Hey, buddy, what's your name?"

"I'm Gears." He responded, rocking from side to side. Then he looked at the drawing and then to me again. "I did this for you." He offered it to me. It was a representation of the fight between Atticon and Gipsy. It wasn't perfect, but it was quite well. At least I was able to distinguish some little details of our Jaeger.

"Oh, It's gorgeous! You even added the decals of Gipsy." I said signalling them. He smiled brightly, nodding embarrassed. I passed the drawing to Breakdown. "You're such an artist. Thank you." I said resting a sero on his little shoulder. I wasn't expecting it as he hugged me, but I returned the gesture. Then he repeated the same with my blue friend. "You know Gears, I think I've got the perfect place to hang it."

He looked at me excited. "Where?" He asked intrigued.

"Come with us. You can even chose the place if you wish so." Breakdown suggested. "We're coming in a breem or two." He added for the rest.

I picked the sparkling up, and I asked the father if he could follow us. We walked up to our room. The kid was amazed by the logo. "I love it!" He said, touching the door from my arms. We entered in and we walked towards a wall that was empty. "Can I put it here?" He signalled the centre of the wall.

"For sure!" I nodded. I passed the kid to Breakdown as I sat in the desk my back to them, grabbing a holopaper.

When they finished to attach it on the wall, they all looked at me, curious. I gave them a soft side look before turning again to my doings. A breem or so after, I got up from my desk and I approached the kid. "You told me you loved the logo, right?" He nodded. "Well, you have given me a wonderful drawing. So it's my turn. Here you are." I gave him also a drawing, this one of the logo.

"Woah, sooo cool!" He looked at it lovingly. "Thank you!"

Breakdown let the kid down, and the father talked to us. "Thank you very much. He likes so much your Jaeger, specially after today. It's his favourite one." He explained. "Ok, Gears, say bye."

"Good bye." The little one waved enthusiastically. We waved back, and then we got back to the main hangar.

We were now the kids favourites... We were role models... We were winners, and no one could say nothing. We were now into the Elite. I did now understand Alpha's and Prowl's way of been. They did wanted to show people that everyone was important in there, because without them the Jaeger would be nothing at all, and so did we.

Later on, we threw a night party, and we had fun with people around as everything was joy and happiness. It lasted all the night... We were rock stars now... We celebrated... We had a good time... Oblivious to what was about to happen. But no one knew that was the beginning of the end.


	19. Knifehead

_**Updated - 18~09~2020**_

Sorry for so many perspective jumps, but I couldn't come up with a better way of narrating it.

Enjoy!

* * *

_**Knifehead**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 21th Crystaline 3227, Iacon Rust Sea Bay**_

During this last years, different battle happened. We won each battle. We became better at doing it. We also started having missions on our own. We got really good at it. Winning. Then... Then it all... Changed.

* * *

We were recharging, when suddenly all the lights of our room lit up. We heard the voice of a femme calling us. "Gipsy Danger report to Bay 08, level A-42... Terrorcon. Code name: Knifehead. Category III. 8700 metric tons." The megaphone was now setting the general alarm. "Movement... In the Breach."

"Breakdown, wake up!" I said jumping out of my berth. "Hey, come on! We're being deployed." I hurried up my copilot, shaking him.

"Hmm." He said half-sleep. Yeah, he was a really heavy recharger. Fortunately I wasn't. "Morning."

"Morning." I replied. "You ready for another victory?"

Like if someone had pricked him with a needle, he jumped out of his berth, enthusiastic. "All right, let's suit up and kick some tail pipes!" I could see an excitement glow in his optics. He did really enjoy this.

"You never stop surprising me, buddy." He chuckled to may response.

We heard a knock on the door and a vehicon appeared. "Come on, _Attiricons_. Time for the drop." We nodded as we followed him down the hallway.

Walked our way to our preparation chamber. During this last years, we learned we needn't run, just walk. It helped us not to rise too much our adrenergon levels, so that out mind was clear and concentrated on our duty.

"Hey, Knocks..." Breakdown touched my shoulder path.

"Yep?" I inquired, smirking.

"Don't get cocky." He reminded me as always. He did know me too well, and he knew that sometimes, my narcissistic behaviour kicked in. Thanks to him, I never looked down at anyone. I will always be thankful about it.

I've also gotta say our room was running out of space in the walls due to the diversity of drawings hanging on it. I realised that we could not fail all those kids. We were role models to them, and we wanted to be the bests. We were probably not the heroes cybertron deserved, but we were proud of giving a servo.

The vehicons worked fast on us, and soon the suit and the armour were on. We entered the Conn-Pod and we took our respective places. We started all the systems up as Gipsy's computer voice started the protocol.

"_Good morning, Pilots!_" A voice came through the comm. link.

"Prowl, what's happening, my mech?" I replied.

"How'd that date with Chromia... go last night, Mr. One?" Breakdown asked gossiping, as he snickered.

"_Great!_" He laughed. "_The romantic dinner... Oh, she loved it... Our daughters? Not so much._"

"_Engage drop, Mr. One._" We could hear Alpha from behind.

* * *

"Engaging drop, sir." Prowl replied professionally, tapping fast on his keyboard. "Alpha Trion on deck." Announced to everyone in the base. "Securing the Conn-Pod. Getting ready to drop." Informed.

"_Conn-Pod door lock secured._" A vehicon informed from the catwalk to the command station. All the nape plates moved onto place.

"Release for drop." The leader commanded.

* * *

We felt the moorings unlocked and the free fall embraced us once more. Every time we did it, I still felt like if it was the first time. It didn't last long, but I loved it anyway. The Conn-Pod locked into place as the main computer started up, initiating the neural handshake command. We did not exchange a word, we just relaxed and fell into the drift.

I felt comfortable like never before, with memories that weren't mine at all, yet very much my own. I will never be able to describe what it felt like that precise day, but I can assure I never again had I felt such a connection. I wished it would have lasted longer, but good things only last little. We finally settled, stepping once more into reality. I locked my optics into his golden ones. I could literally read through them. They spoke everything to me.

"_Gentlemechs, your orders are to hold the miracle mile of Iacon._" Alpha instructed us, neutral tone.

"Yes, sir." I replied back. Our sensors picked up a signal from the now soon battlefield. "Sir, there's still am underoil mining group near the Bay..."

"_You're protecting a city of two million people. You will not risk those lives for a group that holds ten._" We heard Alpha sharp. I've never seen him like that. He must have been nervous for the new event. "_Am I clear?_"

"Yes... Sir." I answered reluctant, before disconnecting the comm. link.

"Mech, that's cold." Breakdown said, sorrow in his spark. We silenced for a while, and then he looked me into the optics. "You know what I'm thinking."

"I'm in your CPU." I answered him back at that obvious statement. "I know."

"Then let's go mining!" He grinned side to side, glad that I decided to follow him in this.

"Here we go!" I grinned, starting to walk out of the hangar. "Come on, bro! Put some muscle to it!" I teased him.

"Talk about yourself, kiddo!" He answered me back, trying not to laugh.

I've been asked quite a lot of times what did I feel when I was in a Jaeger. I usually tent to answer that I felt powerful. There are things you can't fight, acts of Primus. You see a hurricane coming... You have to get out of the way... But when you're in a Jaeger, suddenly... You can fight the hurricane... You can win.

* * *

We walked into the Rust Sea. Our rhythm was good, soon we left the miracle mile back. We had already horned the our Jaeger's horn, to let everyone around know we were under attack. It was really powerful.

We walked forwards, cautiously as we had devised the creature. We caught the Terrorcon examining the mining group, while the poor cybertronians down the underoil construction freaked in pure terror. We had to do something, quickly. Ran forwards, attracting its attention. We moved fast, skidding between the mining group and the beast, measuring every move to avoid crashing the structure beneath our pedes. We were a little restricted by that fact, but every cybertronian spark counted.

The beast tried to knock us down, but instead, we grabbed its waist and pulled backwards, moving it aside from the mining site. It took us some effort, but we finally managed to direct it were we wanted it to be. We then put some distance in between the monster and us. The beast growled, and motioned a limb downwards. We instead rolled over ourselves and launched a revers punch. We connected it just with its side optics. The beast shrieked and retroceded lightly, shaking its helm. Still maintaining our posture, we launched a circular kick, connecting it again on its helm.

We weren't going easy on it, so we stepped forwards, launching a battery of punches here and there. Knifehead lowered almost flat on the oil, as we were obliging it to do so. We charged all our weight on it as it tried to stand up again, sinking its helm on the oil.

Huffing and grunting, the beast decided to implement another technique. It dodged us, swimming around and then launched its jaws towards us, supporting the attack with the clawed paws. We struggled as we stopped those denta just with our forearm. It hurt, but we persisted.

With the other servo, we directed a side servo hit to the throat, gaining a pain groan. While the beast recovered, we hurried the computer to transform our right into the plasma canyon. Just when beast come over us once again the weapon got ready

"Shoot him!" Breakdown shouted, really into the fight.

"I'm on it! I'm on it!" I replied, finally firing the canyon.

We moved our Jaeger out of the way as the monster fell prone besides us, slowly sinking into the Rust Sea.

* * *

Back at the base, the command station was getting nervous. Laserbeak was having a hard time following the fight and transmiting it, since the Jaeger was caught in a storm. After some tense breems, Prowl was finally able to download the data.

"Discharge reading, sir." He said as he opened the results. "Plasma cannon was fired... Seven miles off the coastal line." He read out.

Alpha was serious, but did not say a word. He could feel something was not right.

* * *

Breakdown was panting as much as I was, but I could see his satisfaction grin as he pressed buttons on the console. I laughed before opening the comm. link.

"Loccent... Here Gipsy Danger... Job's done." We announced to the base, triumphant. "Lit it up twice... Bagged our eighth kill." We resumed. "Ready to return back home."

"_You disobeyed a direct order._" Alpha's anger did not go unnoticed. There was something wrong with him and we did not know what. In normal circumstances, I would have rolled with it, but this time no. So I vented deeply and responded.

"Respectfully, sir..." I directed to him, cautiously. "We intercepted a Terrorcon... We protected the city... And saved everyone in the mine."

"_Get back to your post. Now._" The white mech ordered us.

I cut it up, annoyed, frowning. "I don't know what the rust is happening to him." I muttered. "He doesn't usually behave this way. What scrapplet bit him?"

"He may have been worried during the battle, Knockout." Breakdown tried to calm me down. "He may have his reasons, and I think right now the best choice is to get back to base and talk with him when you're cool." I didn't reply, I just nodded.

I was tired and angry. Right then I only wanted to get back to my quarters and head my berth until the storm was over. Only that that never happened.

* * *

Everyone at base had relaxed after hearing the pilot's words. They had beaten up another Terrorcon, there was no need to worry about it anymore. People in Loccent had also went into other things until Soundwave set the alarm.

"Terrorcon signature rising!" Soundwave's scanners had picked up an strong signal.

"That thing's still alive, sir." Prowl's optics couldn't go wider, as he immediately crouched over his computer.

Mid time, Alpha rushed towards the comm. link, in an attempt to warn the pilots.

* * *

We have walked few steps towards Iacon when we received the message. We started to hear Alpha's uneasy voice over the speakers, and we didn't not liked a word of what he said.

"_Gipsy we're picking a strong signal right behind you. That Terrorcon is still alive!_" He shouted. "_Get out of there, immediately! You copy?"_

"What!?" We got shocked.

Without loosing a click, we turned Gipsy around as our reflection worked faster than our own minds. We had made the mistake of giving our back to the monster. We were still expecting to find it standing right there, like a stupid creature we had thought it had been. How wrong had we being. It had just disappeared and we had no sight of it. Tension was palpable as we couldn't spot it anywhere.

We never saw it coming. I had conned us. The monster attacked, coming out of nowhere. We barely managed to face it as that thing charged. It hit us hard with it's limb several times, trying to make us fall, and almost achieved it. But we did not gave up.

We rose our arms, shielding our Conn-Pod, and keeping it's jaws barely away from us. I still had the plasma canyon engaged, if I managed to make it come to life again, maybe we still could take it down. Following the thoughts of my friend I positioned the right arm of Gipsy as I could.

"I got this!" I shouted recharging the weapon. I thought I had it under control. How mistaken I was to assume I ever had it. Terrorcons learn, and this one had gone a step ahead. It used his sharp helm to torn Gipsy's right out, which almost fried my receptor system. I screamed in agony, as my copilot tried to handle the situation.

"Loccent, we're hit!" He shouted over the computer beeps.

* * *

"Right arm's... Gone cold, sir." Prowl read at loud. All the base was quiet. It could be only heard the fast tipping of the cybertronians monitoring the mission. Alpha was now in tension.

"They ain't gonna do it." Ratchet whispered for himself at the back of the room, lowering his gaze to the ground. Without saying any other word, he turned slowly around and walked out the command station. He had seen enough. He didn't wanted to witness the loss of other two pilots.

* * *

I tried to recover myself fast, as the monster came down on us hard. It launched a huge arm towards us, and managed to make contact with the Conn-Pod. But didn't content with that. It grasped part of it, nicking and squashing the metal beneath. We could feel it and we found ourselves unable to response as one of the giant claws made it through into the stance.

"The hull! It went through the hull!" I remember hearing Breakdown alerting the Loccent, but I was way too dizzy to understand it at all. We were alone in the middle of nowhere trapped and with no way out. I couldn't hold it anymore, and I sank.

Feeling my anxiety and desperation, Breakdown tried to make me come down to the reality. "Knockout, listen to me!" He was gonna tell me that we could still win this battle if we kept fighting together. Only that he could never finish to spoke his mind as he was forcefully torn out of his place, alongside half of the Conn-Pod as the beast had pulled out.

"Breakdooown!"

I wasn't prepared for what I experienced. The drift started to come down as it shattered in thousand pieces. The nothing extended through me as I felt my partner going cold. We did not practice that on the simulations, and no one had ever told me how to react to that. Hurt waved over me physically and psychically. Battered, defeated and broken, I felt my frame heavy on me, my mind at the verge of collapsing.

The Terrorcon continued to assault the almost destroyed husk it was Gipsy, tearing apart pieces here and there. I could barely feel the pain it was causing me as I was devastated. At that moment I didn't care if I was gonna join the All Spark. Without Breakdown, I was just a simple mech on a robot puppet. I was a coward.

I was about to accept my destiny until a stupidly brilliant idea passed through my helm. Gipsy had a hemisphere redirection mechanism. I still could managed to swap hemisphere control and operate with left arm. Since Breakdown wasn't there to support me anymore, I would have to bare a bigger charge on my own, and possibly fry my processor. But I didn't mind. I had lost it all already, I couldn't lose anything else.

I hurried to press some buttons as I could, from time to time, being shook from side to side by the monster outside. When I was done entering the command, the neural charge changed, as I could sense the other arm now under my command. I didn't wait a click more, I loaded the left weapon. It was insane, but that Terrorco had taken from me who I most cared about, and I would make it pay.

"Loading..." The computer screen said, but I didn't payed attention. I was blinded by hatred and rage, burning optics locked into the beast, while rain showered over me through the hole in the hull.

At certain point I could feel the monster charging all its weight on me as it intended to deck me down. But I didn't let myself. I dug my pedes on the ground and made my stand. Sensing my charging weapon, that thing decided to get ride of it the way it had done it breems ago, but this time I moved clumsily, avoiding the impact by microns.

I was suffering, but at that point, hurt was part of me. Tears of tiredness, desperation, hurt and effort came down my face as I tried to hold the beast in place again, grunting. The weapon was taking far too long to load, and the Terrorcon was reducing Gipsy Danger to scrap, it was reducing me to scrap.

Finally, after some cut and thrusts, the computer announced the weapon was ready. With all my strength I pushed the plasma canyon directly over the chest. My processor would not stand the overcharge any longer. If I was going down, I would take that Terrorcon down with me.

"For Cybertron, for Breakdown... And for everything!" I shouted, lightening it up.

The command station had gone crazy as everyone struggled to get some information. With his digits literally flying over the keyboard, Soundwave started getting some results among all the chaos. Prowl leaned over his shoulder, reading. He straightened up and slowly turned around, while the room fell in complete silence.

"Sir, communications are fried. There's no way of contacting them." The cop began. "Besides, Laserbeak has problems to report due to the storm. She has retreated towards the city." He paused, not really knowing how to put his next words. Instead, Shockwave took the word.

"Nothing could have survived such discharge without a proper sealed Conn-Pod. If the Terrorcon didn't kill them, the radiation did." Silence settle in the room.

"What should we do, sir?" Prowl dared to ask.

"Gather everyone in the main hangar." Alpha said silently. "We may have won this battle, but we lost two of our best pilots." He murmured walking out of the Loccent.


	20. Still Alive

_**Updated - 18~09~2020**_

* * *

_**Still Alive**_

_**Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 21st Crystalinian 3227, Iacon**_

All my systems were flashing warning messages. I was in front of a huge lifeless corp, completely disoriented. I couldn't locate myself, so I just tried to move around. I could see the city not far away, so I concluded that I was somewhere over the Miracle Mile. I tried to call the Pan Pacific, but the comm. systems were not working.

Since the white suit was literally screwed into the main system and as I couldn't take it off without help, transforming and driving away was not an option anymore. Not only that, I was still connected to the Jaeger, that meant that without the appropriate shutdown process I could fry my processor too, so I was without option right now. Gipsy was in poor conditions, she was almost deceased, and so was I.

I doubted I could reach the base on my own, but if I wanted to reach it, I would have to work something out. I did have a Jaeger, well, half of it, so if the monster hadn't killed me, nothing could do it now. I knew that piloting a Jaeger alone had setbacks, which, while building it, I didn't have it in mind. I dismissed that thought as I started to drag myself slowly and heavily.

* * *

Almost everyone was at the main hangar. Some of them just with sadness written over their face plates, others crying their recent lost. Alpha Trion walked in front of the multitude as he rose his voice.

"Today... 21st Crystaline 3228, we have lost two of the best pilots we ever had, and our newest Jaeger." He silenced. "We may have won this time, but we also lost two of the most brilliant minds, and two heroes." He silenced, maintaining his serenity. "We shall honour them with two breems of silence." Everyone in the base became mute, only could be heard some soft sobs of some workers.

* * *

At each step, my muscles burned. And my central neural system was receiving too much information than what I could handle. I fought to maintain it under control. I walked what it was an agonic half jour, almost struggling and trying to keep up. I almost banished twice, but I refused to give up.

When I finally devised the base, it was early in the morning. A hint of relief ran through my body. I was soon in the perimeter of the base. Some vehicons saw me and ran into the base.

* * *

"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!" A vehicon entered in, shouting like there was no tomorrow. Soon Laserbeak followed him. Everyone looked at them, confused and some irritated for ruining the moment. "Alpha!" The vehicon move forwards until he was in front of him. He signalled the entrance trying to vent as the following words came out his vocalizer. "They're... still... Al... Alive... Gipsy... Danger..." He panted as other vehicons that had been outside also corroborated that.

"Gipsy Danger is still online." Soundwave interpreted the information give by his minicon. "She's heading Pan Pacific. She's coming here." He replayed. The vehicon nodded, recovering his sparkbeat.

"Ratchet, bring your material. Get ready to tend the wounded." The leader ordered immediately without losing time. "Shockwave, take a group with you and make sure the way into the hangar is clear." Both scientists went to their respective places. "Everyone, try to get out of the way, less time we spend on taking them out, better it will be." He turned to look at his friend. "Prowl, I need you to bring here the preparation team, we need to take his armour as soon as possible."

"Yes sir." He ran towards the preparation room with some vehicons after him to take the tools they needed to unscrew the suit.

Alpha prayed to Primus with all his spark that both pilots were alive and not too injured.

* * *

I was almost in front of the heavy gate we had left four jours before. I could see it was opening. They might have seen me coming. Since the damage on the frame and the battle lasting, Gipsy Danger was running out of fuel, what meant that soon, we were gonna fall to the ground, and if everything went well, it would power down all the systems, relishing me free from the neural connection we had.

I was now stepping into the base. The main hangar was cleared for me, that was good. I could also see few groups ready for my arrival. I started feeling more exhausted, and the left knee failed to support the weight hitting the ground. I managed to put the other knee at the same level and then the only arm I had in the way, so that the fall would not be so risky for people around. With a final pitiful groan, the rest of Gipsy Danger callapsed on the ground. The motion broke the joints of the white suit, letting me free.

I dragged myself out as I could. My helmet was broken too, and energon was running down some plates in my middle frame. I was injured, disoriented and traumatised. My audio receptors were beeping due to the tension and the crash. The light also harmed my optics. I looked everywhere, trying to find my offlined friend. "Breakdown..." I called him, but I didn't obtained a response. "... Breakdown..."

Tiredness and exhaustion finally over took my body and I collapsed to the ground, loosing my consciousness. The last thing I could see was Ratchet's figure trying to tend me and Alpha by my side. Then my world became black.

* * *

"I need the suit off, now!" Ratchet hurried the preparation group. "He could suffer a system shutdown and reboot in few breems. I need to keep his vents running to cool him down. If we don't do it asap, it would have worth nothing."

The vehicons worked fast, trying not to move the red mech too much. Once the plates were off, Ratchet cut the black suit, granting him access to the patient itself. The doctor opened the panels and inserted a catheter into the forearm, supplying a cooler. He was running out of time, so he had to hurry up. "Soundwave! I need a ground bridge directly into the med bay."

As soon as those words left his mouth, a green vortex opened. "Prowl, help me to carry him." They moved the patient to a stretcher and they disappeared through the bridge.

In the med bay, Ratchet prepared the surgery table and they put Knockout on it. Prowl waited outside. But there was another mech soon by Ratchet's side. "Pharma, I need you to get out from here. I..."

"Ratchet, I may not be a surgeon myself, but I do have practice with the Terrorcons. I don't think Knockout it's much different." He looked at the patient. "Well... Or maybe yes... But, you will need some help, and I'm the most qualified around here, so let me help to save the life of my friend."

Ratchet nodded. "Very well, but I want you follow my instructions carefully." They both started repairing the red mech wounds. "I hope I can save his mind too... I need him." The old medic murmured.

"We will." The younger mech said passing the welder. "We just need to keep working."

* * *

He was in front of the huge window of the Med Bay. He was deep in thoughts. He could have avoided it and he did nothing. He was blaming himself for it. He suddenly felt a servo on his shoulder. He looked aside to see his friend.

"Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault." The cop tried to cheer him up. "He's still alive." Prowl looked at the red mech, laying in front of them, as Ratchet worked on him.

"He has experienced the lost of his friend from the very inside. And also walked all the way back on his own." Alpha said. "Whenever he comes online, he will not be the same. He had suffered more than what he could handle." He looked at his friend's optics, not showing any emotion, "I should have send back up... I should have never allow him to pilot."

"I also helped on that." Prowl answered back. "But we have seen him rise and shine. He also thought he was being helpful. He was ready to follow our steps. He was determined to make a difference... But he wouldn't have done it without his friend and confident. You should have seen them the first time they piloted Gipsy Danger. They were one entity. If he had never undergo those test, they would have never met, and he would have continue daydreaming about Jaegers. He surely would have felt envious about someone else piloting his creation." The cop silenced a moment. "He did know what was he facing, and even though that, he was glad of doing it."

There was a silence before Prowl talked again.

"We have sent some scouting teams to comb the battleground." He commented quietly. "Maybe theres still a chance that we find Breakdown."

"I highly doubt it." Alpha admitted, lowering his gaze. "But I hope you're right."

The doctor got out from the infirmary and walked towards the other mechs. "Alpha, Prowl... Knockout is stable." Ratchet paused. "He will overcome his wounds. But... We don't know if he will suffer a reboot." The medic was waved down. "The incident had been raw and he has been exposed to radiation. All his systems shut down, he is now in stasis, and we don't know if he will wake up. But I can assure, whenever he does, he will not be the same Knockout we used to know."

"That Knockout offlined with his partner." Pharma concluded silently, behind Ratchet.

Alpha just nodded. They stood in the place, hoping that the little red mech, could make it and recover fully, physical and mentally. But for the moment, the only thing they could do was wait.

* * *

**_A/N_**

Here ends the first part of Rust Rim!

I cut it here not to feel overwhelmed with the rest of the stories on course, and also because I hate leaving works unfinished. I had to admit that at certain point, due to the lack of inspiration and the many things I had to do, I almost felt like abandoning it, but I refused to give up. It took me longer, but I did it!

As I have explained in previous chapters, there are many more chapters done. But, due to the time that had passed since I wrote them, they will have to undergo several mayor rewriting. While writing this last parts I also found out a new story plot to continue it, which lefts me wonder what to do. Now I need to think how will go next part before making any plan of updating, if I decide to continue it. Let me know in the reviews if you want to.

Regarding characters, except for those who are mine, I think I got them pretty OOC, and I'm not certain if that worked well. It supposed a challenge at certain point and what at the beginning felt like easy turned out hard. I might have to give a thought about it too. I'm also starting to think about Breakdowns fate, as I have two paths to follow now. Let me know in the reviews what think about the story too, or if you liked it or not.

As a writer, I must say this story taught me much, from the beginning to the end, and helped me to develop and somehow learn out from it. I just wanted to mention that.

Last, but not least, Thank you very much for taking your time to read. Also thank you to all of you who had followed and favourited this story.

See you soon on board a Jaeger!


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